


Chaotic Solutions

by Jordynxbj



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Aromantic, Eventual Relationships, Family, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Fun, Multi, No Angst, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 48
Words: 117,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24750253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jordynxbj/pseuds/Jordynxbj
Summary: "Being reborn into a fictional universe is dope. If you can cause a little chaos, of course."A doppelganger self-insert written by someone who is sick of the same stories and would just like to mess around a bit.Written completely for myself. Might not follow any plot, probably have plenty of inconsistencies, and could have zero storylines. Read at your own peril, you've been warned.
Relationships: Damon Salvatore/Original Female Character(s), Klaus Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s), Stefan Salvatore/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 257
Kudos: 564





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I've ever written, so don't judge too hard, but if you do I won't care.
> 
> If I make mistakes please feel free to correct them I'm not great at grammar and would actually love some criticism.
> 
> This is a self insert so please expect tons of wish fulfillment, lots of biased opinions, and buckets of obvious commentary.  
> In this story I'd like to change a lot. Like everything. I love the tvd universe. This is not me hating on it, just what I would do if I had the power to change things to my liking. I am writing this for me and just hope you like it as well.
> 
> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy it.

"Welcome." A powerful voice spoke.

"Um.. hi?" A confused and decidedly less powerful voice replied.

"Hello. Well here goes, you died." The loud voice said.

"Yeah, I got that. I'm basically discorporated." 

"No need to be a smart ass." The loud voice huffed. "I would like to offer you a choice." 

"What kind of choice?" The still confused voice asked.

"Either move on, find peace, walk into the light as it were, or be reborn." Noticing a slightly bored look on the beings nearly invisible face the strong voice added " With a twist, of course."

"What's the catch?" The slightly less so but still fairly confused voice asked. 

"No catch." 

"Why me?" The small voice asked scepticaly.

"You once prayed to Seth the Egyptian god of chaos-"

"I was partly joking," the small voice said, then added in a slightly smaller voice. "and a little bit high."

"Details, either way i'm bored and you seem kinda.... bonkers... chaotic, weird, batshit crazy-" the voice was interrupted.

"Ok now that I've been roasted... by a god?  
I have some questions." The steadily becoming less small voice said.

"Carry on."

"Is this a hallucination?" 

"No." The loud voice stated simply.

"Now that that's resolved, Where would I go? Would I remember this? Would I be a human? What's the twist?" The now nearly loud voice asked.

"Okay, here we go. You would go to a different universe than yours. Yes, you would remember this. You would be born human but that could change depending on circumstances. And the twist is you would have foreknowledge." The powerful voice answered.

"Foreknowledge?" the still confused voice asked.

"I've seen that you've taken a liking to certain fictional universes-"

"Oh god is this like those fanfics where I'm just implanted in some main character and can't change anything and just have to go with it? Because if so, hell no." 

"Well if you're done interrupting, no that is not what I'm trying to tell you.  
There are an infinite number of universes which theoretically means there is a universe for everything ever created, I.e., books, movies, television shows, music videos, fanfiction. It could all exist.  
So sending you somewhere you couldn't change anything would mean there is only one universe In which the events are occurring, that's just not true. Wherever you would like to go you have foreknowledge and the ability to actually change things to your liking." The booming voice stated.

"Where would I go?" The voice asked, becoming excited.

"Where you want. I recommend somewhere you could have the most fun and mess the most things up, but to each their own."

"Like, I could go to the avengers universe?"

"Yes."

"Twilight?"

"Yep."

"Criminal minds?"

"Yeah."

"Supernatural?"

"Sure."

"Sherlock?"

"Oh my gods!! Yes! Are you done? I really don't have time for you to list off all the fandoms you know." The roaring voice snapped.

"Right, sorry." The now smaller voice apologized. "Where do you think I should go?"

"Your favorite of course." The loud voice offered in a less snippy tone.

"TVD?" The now very excited voice asked.

"Yes, "The Vampire Diaries". How you could enjoy that teenager drivel I have no clue." The large voice mutter.

"Hey don't shame me. I'm into vampires, so what? It could be so much worse." The smaller voice defended.

"Yes, well that's true." The loud voice agreed in a slightly disgusted tone. "So The Vampire Diaries is it?"

"This is kind of a big decision, I should think on it right?" The small voice asked in a pondering tone. Then seemed to come to a decision. "Who am I kidding? Let's do this shit!"

"No more questions? No? Okay, it was nice meeting you, bye now."

And with that, 17 year old Elena Wright was reborn as Elena Gilbert.


	2. Reborn

Sharing a name with the main character of her favorite show who she hates has been cause of the occasion annoying question, "Do you like the show because of your name?"  
"Do you watch because of Elena?"  
"Is Elena your favorite because of your name?"

To which she answered  
"No."  
"Go away."  
"Fuck off."

Okay, so that's a bit harsh she doesn't hate Elena. She doesn't really like her either, she's a bit boring and a little whiny.  
But, she doesn't dislike her for all the reasons everyone says like she's selfish, manipulative, slutty, or fake.  
If she was any of those Elena might actually like her, like Katherine Pierce/ Katerina Petrova the "Baddest Bitch of All".

She's just not well written. She's to selfless to the point of exhaustion. She has no power or backbone, she has to rely on everyone else to protect her. Getting so many people killed in the process. Like a whole ass sire line.

In conclusion, being launched out of the very fictional Isobel Flemming's vagina to be caught by a doctor who a little to loudly announced "It's a girl!" was complete shit.

Yes, the 17 year old antisocial party girl just woke up as Elena Fucking Gilbert.

ELENA FUCKING GILBERT

Elena "please come to my rescue because I have to rely on whichever salvawhore I'm currently dating to save me" Gilbert

Elena "mary sue who is not at all powerful" Gilbert

Powerless, defenseless, smoking hot doppelganger Elena Gilbert.

Not gorgeous, badass, crazy powerful, albeit a little judgy witch, Bonnie Bennet.

Not insecure and bitchy in the first season, but eventually adorable little vampire bean, Caroline Forbes.

Not perpetually human Matt Donovan.

Not an anger riddled werewolf Tyler Lockwood.

Not sarcastic and crazy hot Damon Salvatore.

Not broody yet somehow still sexy Stefan Salvatore.

Not drugged out Vicki Donovan 

Not undiagnosedly depressed Jeremy Gilbert.

Not even some fake version of myself created specifically for this universe.

But, Elena Gilbert. Fuck me.


	3. Acceptance

Okay so she's calmed down a bit. Still pissed, but the dying thing and meeting a bodiless god caught up with her.

She died.

She was 17 year old Elena Wright.

She was Elena Wright, who was both antisocial and a complete attention whore, was bad at reading social cues (or good at ignoring them) and a therapist/life coach to her friends, and an avid consumer of romantic content and 100 percent aromantic.

She was Elena Wright, a self proclaimed atheist who liked to pray to the old Gods, more specifically Egyptian, but she liked them all due to their dark and chaotic nature.

She was Elena Wright, a girl with a mother who worked all the time and absent father who never really wanted children.

She was Elena Wright, a girl with a very few friends and even less genuine ones.

She was Elena Wright, who loved books, movies, tv shows, and music.

She was Elena Wright and now she's not.

Now she's Elena Gilbert.

Elena Gilbert, born to Isobel Flemming and John Gilbert.

Elena Gilbert, doppelganger, danger magnet, and future human sacrifice.

Elena Gilbert, no longer atheist.

Elena Gilbert, a girl with no friends and better parents.

Elena Gilbert, a girl who knew what happens after death and now, the future.

Elena Gilbert, a girl with a blank slate.

Elena Gilbert, a girl who can be anybody she wants to be.

Elena Gilbert, a girl who will be anybody she wants to be.

Elena Gilbert, a girl with ability to change everything.

Elena Gilbert, a girl who's not so pissed anymore.

Maybe not complete shit.


	4. 0-6m

So, she's Elena Gilbert now, she's accepted it.  
But now she's a baby and being a baby sucks.

She can't do anything for herself.

She can't even slap peoples hands away when they try to touch her.

These past few days have been miserable. She can barely see, everything is way to loud, and she has zero control over her own body.

The only time she was remotely happy was when John handed her over to The Gilberts, but then she remembered that Grayson liked to pick around Enzo's insides and just like that, she wasn't happy anymore.

Then that got her thinking about all the things she needs to do like liberate Enzo, get some vervain, talk to sheila, and many, many other things.  
God, she can't wait to be able to write this down... and stay awake more than an hour.

6 months

She's six months old now and she can officially crawl.

Not a huge change but at least she can support her own head.

She's been trying to talk recently, but holding out for the perfect time to say "fuck" as her first word.

Trying to walk is a pain in the ass. She never realized how many muscles went into standing on her own.

She's decided she likes her new mother. She thinks Miranda Gilbert is a nice and caring woman. Her father appears to be a nice man and good father but she knows what he gets up to in his spare time so she's rightfully wary.

Elena thinks she can do this, save people and have fun while doing it. Trying to keep her distance like she normally does, but then while her new parents are playing with her they casually ask in baby talk  
"Do you want be a big sister?"

"Fuck."


	5. Remy

Twenty two months after her parents unknowingly dropped the sibling bomb on Elena they welcomed Jeremy Gilbert in to the world.

She definitely didn't like him.

He was not the most adorable baby she'd ever seen.

He did not have the cutest little nose or most perfect chin she ever saw.

She 100 percent did not already love him, nope, no siree, definitely not.

Who was she kidding? 

She was already planning ways to make him love her.

She was already thinking of ways to support though everything in his life.

When she got the new parents she thought she could do like she did with her other ones, raise her self, ask the occasion "how was your day?" and be done with it.

But this was different.

He was different. He needed her like she needed him.

They were no longer the people she would grow up around for the second time. 

He made them a family.

And that terrified her.

How was she supposed to act?

She never had siblings. The closest she ever came was her best friend's little sister, and she always thought that she treated her terribly.

No that wouldn't do. 

She loves him. She wants to protect him from the terrible things coming his way.

Oh God! How did she not think of this?  
Of all the things that would break him.

His parents death, depression, drugs, vicki, anna, damon killing him, jenna, losing alaric, always dying, and all the other things that hurt him.

No, no, no. She not letting that happen.

First step of "Project: Save Everyone But Mostly Fuck With People" protect the hell out of her baby brother.


	6. Baby Scooby Gang

It's been two years since Jeremy was born and Elena has been the best big sister a four year old can be.

Yes, she's four now which means she can finally write out the things she remembers and read all the old Gilbert journals she can get her little hands on.

It also means she started preschool with the little mystic falls gang.

She caught herself staring at baby Bon Bon hoping she would witchy whammy somthing, she didn't... lame.

Little Caroline was adorable as teen Care.

And Matty was as sweet as he was in the future, she's starting to see why Elena let herself love him.

But the only one she specifically sought out to be her friend was tyler.  
She loved his character development but hated his story lines.  
Elena wanted to help him accept himself and stand up against his dick of a father.

Just like with Jeremy, when she saw the young scooby gang she knew she would get attached.  
She knew why the original Elena loved them.  
And she knew she would grow to love them just as much, if not more.

They were just so Innocent and untouched by the future horrors they would face.

Knowing that they would all lose people they loved and would each die at least once at some point if she didn't change things broke her heart and motivated her even more to fix things.

So step two of " Project: Save Everyone But Mostly Fuck With People" became, protect, love, and support the crap out of the kids.


	7. Shelia Bennet

Sitting down with Sheila Bennet about to explain everything to her gave Elena serious deja vu of when she told "Uncle John" the "truth" and what she wanted from him.

Flashback

"Hey Uncle John can we talk? An eight year old Elena asked her bio Pop.

"Sure thing sweetheart. What's this about?" John replied while sitting down.

"Okay, so this is going to sound crazy and your probably gonna want to have me committed. But I just need you to listen." 

Elena glanced at him and he nodded with a confused and concerned look.

"I have been having visions of the future, in those visions vampires, werewolves, and witches are real, someone is trying to sacrifice me, I have an exact double who hates me, and you and a women named Isobel Flemming are my birth parents."

John stares at Elena wide eyed and open mouthed.

"So anything you'd like to tell me?" Elena asked with a devious smirk that looked wrong on such a young and innocent face.

End flashback 

She remembered he was so shook that she got him to agree to weapons and self defense training, all while keeping it from her parents.

That was two years ago and now she's pretty okay in both.

Now it's time to enact the next steps in her plan to save everyone, by telling Shelia most of the truth and asking for her help.

"Hi Mrs. Bennet." Elena greeted.

"Hello child. What can I help you with?" Sheila asked like the sweet grandmother she was.

"Umm... ok... so I kinda have to tell you something." Elena said in a nervous voice.

"Go on." Gram urged with an confused yet comforting voice.

"Okay, just gonna say it. I know the future." Elena says after contemplating whether this was a terrible idea for a moment.

"What?" Sheila blinked 

"The future, I know it. Well a version of the future that I could have already affected."

"And why are you telling me?" Shelia asked while looking at Elena warily.

"Well because... I know your a witch, a real one not just wiccan like you tell everyone." Elena swallowed 

"Even so, why would you tell me? Unless you need something from me." Shelia finished sternly.

"Right, I forgot how wise you could be. I do want something from you, well multiple things, because I have literally no one else to ask. Your one of only two people that know about me and even one of the other people got the edited version.  
Before I even ask, is you helping me a possibility?" Elena rambled then asked after realizing she might be telling her secret for nothing.

"It is a possibility, but I want to know everything. Start from the beginning." Sheila answered 

"Ok, well that's one of the things I need the tell you, I can't start from the beginning."

Shelia looked confused.

"I know things and I can say them but when I try to explain how I know them, I literally can't. My brain wont let me, I can't even write it down." Elena explained.

Sheila still looked confused but replied "Well, please explain what you can."

"Ok, so I'm the doppelganger. Which you already knew. I'm sorry about Abby by the way." Elena said apologetically.

"No need to be sorry child, Abby knew what would happen and chose to do the right thing." Shelia assured when a guilty look came on Elena's face.

"Ok, well what you don't know is that the sun and the moon curse is fake."

Shelia looked shocked but didnt interrupt.

"And it's really a curse placed on the son of the vampire Abby desiccated."

Shelia nodded motioning for her to continue.

Elena began her story.

"You see, a thousand years ago in this very town there was a family that consisted of a mother, a father, five sons, and one daughter.  
When the youngest son was killed by werewolves after sneaking out to see them on a full moon the mother, who happened to be a very powerful witch wanted to find a way to protect her family and asked a witch from your bloodline to help, when she refused the mother used dark magic instead.  
But something went wrong and she turned her children into the first ever vampires, The Originals.  
But then, while overcome with bloodlust one of her sons killed someone and immediately fell in pain while his eyes change colors, it was revealed that the mother had an affair with one of the local werewolves and he fathered her child.  
When her husband realized this he was infuriated and demanded she fix it.  
The mother, full of guilt and revulsion for what she created bound the wolf side of her son, taking away a part of him in the process.  
When the son confronted his mother about what she done she refused to undo it and in a fit of magnified rage he killed her.  
Terrified that his siblings would abandon him he lied and said that their father killed her for her betrayal.  
The husband, after finding out about his wife's death, began hunting the bastard child, and by extension his other children.  
Each time his children built a home for themselves the father managed to find them and they fled.  
During this time the cursed son scoured the earth searching for a way to break his curse until a witch informed him all he needed was the moonstone, a witch, a werewolf, a vampire and the doppelganger to break the curse put on him." 

When Elena finished the story Sheila looked horrified for her.

"So Mrs. Bennet the reason I am here is to prepare." Elena said solemnly.

"Because Niklaus Mikaelson is coming for me."


	8. Slater

Sheila agreed to help Elena on the condition she doesn't tell Bonnie about the supernatural.

Elena protested informing her Bonnie would be unprepared when people inevitably showed up and terrorized the town.

But Sheila refused, believing Bonnie to be too young to get sucked into "vampire business" as she put it.

Elena didn't like it but because she needed Sheila's help she agreed to wait until Bonnie's powers came in naturally.

To say Sheila freaked out when Elena explained she needed her to make a daylight ring for a vampire she would be contacting soon would be an understatement.

You'd think further explaining you need him to help you get in contact with someone, who could get in contact someone ,who could then get in contact with Klaus Mikaelson, would calm her down a bit but shockingly, it didn't.

Realizing she wasn't explaining this very well Elena decided to explain the entire part of the plan that involved her.

"Okay, first I'm going to post on craigslist about a witch willing to sell daylight rings."

Noticing Sheila about to angrily interrupt Elena shook her head and continued.

"When he gets in contact, which he will on account of being totally obsessed with everything vampire related, I will have him come here and meet with me were i will explain some important things to him and offer a daylight ring in exchange for his very compelling services." Elena finishes with a grin.

Sheila shook her head unimpressed with the lame pun.

"That's were you come in. We can meet at the grill and then you can get what you need from him to make it, I'm not really sure how you do that though, whatever, I'll leave the witchy business to you and Cinnabon."

Sheila smiled slightly at the girls nickname for her granddaughter 

"After I give him the ring, I will have him compel me a walk in freezer which I will then have installed in a compelled storage unit." 

When Sheila looked confused Elena decided to tell her something close to the truth.

"Right, sorry I forgot to tell you about my blood. Well something is going to happen and I'm going to need lots of doppelblood. I'd tell you more but I'm already risking changing the future so much that I'd rather not have the ancestors involved." 

Elena didn't really care about the future she just knows that the Bennet witch would 100% disapprove of making hybrids so she kept that bit to herself.

"I will then have him compel a nurse and and two backup nurses to take one pint of blood every three months and to forgot about it until they see me. If I do this for the next eight years I will have twenty-eight pints of blood stored away for when I need it. I will then call him in a few years when I need him to get in contact with two vampires names Rose Marie and Trevor."

When Elena finished Sheila looked both impressed and uncomfortable with the ten year olds intelligence.

Sheila agreed and they were currently about to meet with Slater, the adorkable vampire nerd who decided to spend his immortality going to college.

Sheila wouldn't let Elena meet him by herself because she's a "child" and "way less powerful than a Bennet witch" what ever that means.

When Slater read a craigslist post about a "wickedly amazing jewelry maker who made rings so good it'd be like walking in sun for the first time" he thought it was both clever and entirely too on the nose, but got in contact anyway hoping for it to be real and not some lame trap set by an amateur vampire hunter. Imagine his surprise when he tracked the computer to a library in Mystic Falls, Virginia, home of Bennet witches, Salvatore vampires, and the infamous Katherine Pierce's death.

Walking into the Mystic Grill to meet his potential, anonymous craigslist savior, he did not expect a ten year old girl to be involved in the meeting with who he recognized to be Sheila Bennet, occults professor at Whitmore College and Bennet witch. 

What he really didn't expect was that the ten year old now identified as Elena, would be leading this meeting.

But what had him absolutely tripping was that, said ten year old was actually the newest human doppelganger needed to break the sun and the moon curse.

"Right, now that you seem to have calmed down lets recap, I'm the doppelganger, I will have the lovely Mrs.Bennet here make you a daylight ring in exchange for your services, provided you keep my whereabouts to yourself until the time comes when I will have you get in contact with someone who will help me with my pesky doppel problems. Do we have a deal?"

Elena asked after slater seemed to recover from the multiply bombs she dropped.

"Um... yes. I mean I want the ring and will keep your secret but what do you want from me?" Slater asked cautiously.

"Well Slater, can I call you Slater?"

When he nodded Elena continued.

"Well Slater, nice name by the way, all I need from you is to compel a few people for me. And not ask any questions." Elena told Slater with an authority that someone who is blowing bubbles in her glass of chocolate milk should not posses.


	9. Accomplishments

Throughout the next few years Elena has continued training, storing her blood, and getting closer to the Scooby Gang.

One afternoon while hanging at the grill with Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, Jeremy, and Vicki, Elena suddenly realized how much she had changed, not plot wise but with character dynamics.

Caroline was no longer insecure or jealous of Elena, she was still blunt and bitchy, but overall more caring and vampire Caroline like.

Bonnie didn't follow Elena's ever word, she heard her and considered her opinions but they were no longer absolute. She was also more open minded about the supernatural, just because Elena had a deal with Sheila didn't me she couldn't drop hints.

Unfortunately Matt was still obsessed with Elena. Even when a fourteen year old Matt asked Elena to be his girlfriend and she promptly laughed in his face and told him she didn't believe in relationships, he still believed they would be great together.  
Elena thanked whatever god that sent her here, that he was a gentleman and the only indication he gave that he loved her was the occasional longing look and not so subtle one on one invites.

But Tyler was her proudest accomplishment.  
She helped him go from a future bully with daddy issues to a young man who cared about others feelings while simultaneously loved getting under people's skin in much more good natured way.  
When they were kids Elena made a point of complimenting Tyler infront of his dad and staying over at Tyler's when ever he said his dad was in a bad mood, which more than likely happened near the full moon.  
When they were teens and Tyler started feeling the effects of the werewolf gene, Elena started working out with him and teaching him yoga and breathing exercises.  
So now whenever Tyler rarely got into fights he was able to walk away straight to Elena.  
But the most she changed with Tyler's personality was his self hatred, in the show all of Tyler's inability to control his emotions which led to his dad verbally abusing him tore down his self confidence and had to put on a false persona.  
But now whenever Tyler's dad tore down his confidence he had Elena there to build it back up even higher.

And Jeremy, no longer annoying little brother who she only saw at home and ignored outside of the house, now he was her best friend. Now he hung out with her and the gang more than his own friends. Now he was close to Tyler and Matt, which didn't happen till a few seasons in. Now he was confident and strong unlike a normal fourteen year old would be, he still had the usual teenage insecurities but what Elena could get rid of she did. Now he asked Elena's opinion on everything and always came to her with his problems. Now they were close.

But what's proven to be the greatest feat yet, strangely not fighting and weapons training, not helping Care bear be less insecure, Bon Bon less judgmental, Matt less infatuated, Tyler become a better person, or Remy more confident, but befriending Vicki Donovan, very hot older sister to Matty and insecure druggie with both mommy and daddy issues.  
It was hard. Vicki simply refused. She would flat out ignore Elena when she was around. And when she wasn't ignoring her she was being her usual bitchy self.

Elena loved it.

It was the first real challenge of this life. Elena put Befriend and make Vicki love herself in her official plan.

At first Elena would just hang around Vicki. Then she would ask to hang out and when refused, she would make excuses to be around her.

What Elena never realized was that at first Vicki thought "Miss Perfect" was trying to use her to get close to Matt, but then she saw how Matt hung on her every word and how Elena never gave him the time of day.

Then she thought "Princess Elena" was bored and looking for some human Barbie doll to mold into a minion, but then she saw all the girls trying to get close to Elena, and she noticed she never paid any attention to anyone outside her friend group except her.

Then Vicki thought maybe Elena was taking pity on her because her home life but when Matt was talking to Elena about their mom she didn't see any pity in her eyes, just understanding.

Then for a moment, Vicki thought Elena was in love with her but quickly remembered Matty telling her how Elena didn't believe in relationships.

So Vicki came to the startling conclusion that Elena just wanted to be her friend. No tricks, no manipulation, no pity, all she wanted was her friendship.

And it freaked her out. No one had ever sought her out to be her friend before. All her current friendships were caused by her parents, proximity, or mutual interest in escaping sobriety.

She never had anyone just want to know her. Know what she thinks or how she feels. No one cared enough to listen. But Elena did. She cared, she wanted to know Vicki, and when Vicki finally let her she saw how interested Elena was her words.

She couldn't understand how someone she just befriended could care so much about her. She couldn't believe how in such a short time Elena prioritize her. How she made time for her when she needed to talk or just needed someone to be there for her.

But what she didn't know was that Elena had always cared, that she always prioritized her, that she would have always been there for her if she had asked.

Because Elena already considered Vicki hers.

Her friend. Her priority. Hers to protect.

Just like the future Mystic Falls Gang, helping, loving, supporting, and protecting her was already in her plans.


	10. Failure

She did it. Two nights ago Elena saved Grayson and Miranda Gilbert. By not going to that party and not needing to be picked up because a fight with her now nonexistent boy toy they didn't crash over the railing of Wickery bridge, meaning they didn't die and her and Remy still have their parents. 

At least that's what she thought.

What she didn't know was that they wanted to surprise her and Jeremy with a week at the family lakehouse.

This time there was no storm, just a shitty driver.

This time they didn't drown, they crashed into a tree and died instantly.

This time it wasn't just elena and her parents in the car, Jeremy was there too.

This time she saw Stefan saving her while passing out.

This time her last thought was "If he saves Remy I'll never call him bunny muncher again." 

Waking up in the hospital with a sleeping Jeremy in the next room and Liz Forbes sitting next her bed with pity filled eyes reminded Elena what happened. 

She failed.

She failed to save her and Remy's parents.

She failed to protect Remy from the pain of losing half his family.

She failed to complete the most important thing in her plan.

She failed and now she has to tell Remy, her best friend, her favorite person in both lives, her baby brother, that she failed to protect him and that she has know idea to help him now.

Jeremy or Remy as his sister liked to call him, always knew there was somthing more than the whole "I know the future" thing up with El.  
He always thought it had somthing to do with what what she knew.  
Somthing that was coming she refused to talk about or something she was going to change.

He never really put much thought into it, trusting that if he needed to know she would tell him.

Jeremy adored his sister, he always had.  
She played with him when he was to little to play by himself, and she took care of him when he was hurt or sick even though their dad was doctor and she was only two years older.  
She protected him from the big kids even when they were bigger than her.

He loved and trusted her his with all his heart.

Which was why when he woke up in a hospital bed and was told about his parents death he was heartbroken. And not just because they were gone, but because he was terrified she knew.

That she knew and didn't tell him.

That she knew and didn't tell them.

That she did nothing to save them.

That she did nothing to save him from this pain.

But then he remembered that all his life she saved him.

She saved him from bullies and mean teachers, from big dogs and spiders, and from embarrassment in front of pretty girls and cool kids.

And when she couldn't save him, she comforted him with cheesy movies and video games. She was there with his favorite snacks and an understanding ear.

So after three second of blaming his sister, he fell into her arms and remembered all the times she saved him and hoped to god she would save him now.


	11. Mourning and Moving On

It's been two weeks since her parents died and Elena has been doing everything in her power to help Jeremy.

She stays up with him when he's too scared to sleep because of the nightmares.

She holds him when he cries.

She doesn't judge when he tells her he wished it was him.

She doesn't blame him when he pushes her away, knowing it's because he's afraid to lose her too.

She doesn't hesitate to forgive him when he apologizes for it.

And she doesn't forget to tell him she loves him and she will always be there for him.

But what Elena noticed the most was that helping Jeremy helped her not feel so numb and guilty.

When she broke down and confessed she knew and tried to prevent it only for it to happen anyway, Jeremy didn't hesitate to hold her and assure he didn't blame her.

And that is what made Elena feel better.

She was still sad that the people who took care of her for the past sixteen years were dead, but having the most important person in this life and the last, be there for her and not blame her, made her feel normal again.

Which was why right now after getting ready to go Bonnie's and leave her house for the first time since her parents funeral  
Elena grabs a piece of paper and begins writing on it with a sharpie.

She walks over to her bedroom window and tapes the piece to it.

While walking into the kitchen, to get a snack while she waits for Bonnie to pick her up she runs into Jeremy.

"Hey Remy, whatcha doing?" Elena asked while noticing Jeremy rummaging through the pantry.

"Oh hey El, just looking for those little cupcakes jenna got at the store, I'm really craving something sweet." Jeremy replies while looking at Elena up and down and smiling when he saw her put together for the first time in a while.

"You won't find them in there, I hid them in the big pot after I caught jenna trying to hoard them in her room." 

Jeremy laughed while pulling the pot down and taking off the lid "Aha! There they are, thank you, El. Where are you going?"

"Um, Bonnie's, I think it's time to start spending time with friends again, I mean it feels like it. But if you want me to stay I can call Bonnie we can watch a movie or someth-" 

"No El, it's great. You've been here for me so much you haven't had time for your friends. I'll be ok by myself for a few hours. Go have fun." Jereny interrupts while smiling reassuringly at his sister.

"Okay! Thank you Rem." Elena says while hugging Jeremy.

They pull away when Bonnie honks and Elena walks towards the front door.

"Have fun El!" Jeremy calls out as she leaves the house.

"Hey El!" Bonnie shouts out the window when she sees Elena coming out of the house.

"Hey Cinnabon!" Elena replies while getting in car.

Bonnie fondly rolls her eyes at the nickname and asked  
"How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling a little better. It's just weird, one minute they're there in the house telling me to do my homework and to help with the dishes and now they're not and the house feels so empty. I have no idea what I would do without Remy, he's really the only thing keeping me sane. Anyway, thank you for asking your a good friend, honey."

"I'm sorry your in pain El, I wish I could help you." Bonnie looks over at Elena sympathetically and then curious. "Hey, why is there a sign in your window that says "stalking is for perverts, stop peeping my toms?"

\---------------------

Arriving at Bonnie's house Elena sees Caroline's car in the driveway and excitedly jumped out of the car and ran to the porch were Caroline was sitting and jumped into the blondes awaiting arms.

"Care Bear!" Elena shouts while still holding her friend.

"Hey Ellie, how are you? Are you good?" Caroline asked her bestfriend while they pull away.

"I'm doing better. What are you doing here? I thought you didn't get back from your dad's till next week." 

"Well I didn't, but I wanted to be here for you a little earlier and Bon texted me this morning and said you were having a lazy day at her place, so here I am." 

"I'm so glad! Thank you guys so much for being here for me." Elena says while smiling at her friends.

"Of course El, it wasn't even a question, you're our baby." Bonnie says and they all laugh at her bringing up when they used to play house and Elena was the baby. What? Just because she was seventeen when she died didn't mean she didn't want to play like a kid.

"So I brought Mean girls, Clueless, and 10 things I hate about you." Caroline says while they walk into the house.

"And because I knew Care would bring only rom coms, I got out Superbad, Step Brothers, and also Mean Girls." Bonnie says while getting out three pairs of pajamas and fuzzy socks.

"Well seeing as you guys both picked Mean Girls let's go with that." Elena says while they change into the pjs.

As they all sit on the couch in their pajamas and fuzzy socks with a very large bowl of popcorn they start the movie.

After laughing at one of the scenes Elena looks over at her friends smiling faces and feels so loved and taken care of by two of the people she loves most and realizes shes ready to tell them the truth about the future.

She decided after telling grams it was time, she would spend one day with each of her friends and tell them what could happen in the next few years.


	12. Coming Clean

After Elena got permission from Bonnie's Grams, she sat with all her friends and individually with thoughtfulness and sensitivity and explained to them that she knew parts of the future and their roles in that future while assuring them that she would fix whatever she could.

Okay, that's a lie. She was too lazy to go to all their houses and she thought doing it in a mass text was kinda shitty so she invited them all over to her house.

"Okay, now that your all here we can get started." Elena said in a weirdly professional tone.

"El, why are you talking like a vice principal?" Jeremy asked her while their friends nodded along.

"I have no Idea what your talking about Jeremy." 

"Why did you just call him Jeremy? You have literally never called him that, you always call him Remy. What the hell's going on?" Tyler asked while frantically looking around waiting for something to jump out at them.

"You're right, that sounded weird to me too. The thing is, I have to tell you guys something pretty important." Elena said talking normally.

"If this about you being into girls? We already know and fully support you. Caroline said in an understanding tone.

"What? No. I was never hiding that, I once introduced a girl to you as the girl I was seeing."

"I know but you never officially came out. I wanted to throw a party." Care said with a pout.

"Ok, let me officially come out. I like people of various gender identities. Happy?" Elena said pandering to Caroline.

"Yes, thank you. Should we leave... or-"

"What? No. That was not what this was about, you totally sidetracked me." Elena whined.

"Care, you know how short her attention span is, she's like a goldfish." Bonnie said to Caroline.

"Yeah! I'm like a goldfish... Hey!" Elena shouted offended at Bonnie.

"Sorry Ellie." Bonnie apologized. "What were you going to talk to us about?"

"Right. Well before I got sidetracked." Elena glared at Caroline. "I was going to tell you I know the future and that vampires are real."

Silence...

"I'm sorry, it sounded like you just said you know the future and vampires are real." Vicki said while staring confused at Elena.

"Yeah, I heard that too." Matt added equally confused.

"So... El's finally lost it. We all knew this day would come." Tyler said whole solemnly looking at his friends.

"I call jenna, we will find the best doctors available." Caroline said while already mentally making a list of all the things she needs to prepare.

"El, what the hell are you talking about?" Jeremy asked his sister.

"Look, I know I could have probably done this with more tact, but I just wanted to get it out." Elena said apologetically.

"So... what? You're seriously saying that you know the future and vampires are real?  
Tyler asked genuinely concerned for his best friend.

"Yes. And so are werewolves and witches." Elena adds.

"Okay, so what you're saying is that you know the future and vampires, werewolves, and witches are real." Vicki says still confused.

"Yep." Elena says cheerfully.

"Assuming we believe you. Why are you telling us?" Matt asked Elena suspiciously.

"Caught that did you? No one gives you enough credit Matty." Elena says while Matt smiles.

"I'm telling you because... well in layman's terms some shit is going down. And you're all involved in some way or another." Elena says while looking around at her friends.

After explaining what she thought they needed to know about the upcoming future, like Stefan, Damon, Katherine, and the Tomb Elena thought it was time to tell Bonnie and Tyler the fact that they are supernatural.

"Hey, Bon Bon can we talk for a minute?" Elena asks while nodding her head towards the stairs.

"Um... sure, of course." Bonnie said confused while standing up.

"Anyone else think that's super suspicious?" Tyler says while looking around at his friends.

"You too, Sweets. Just give me a minute." Elena yells from the stairs at Tyler.

"What'd you want to talk about?" Bonnie asked Elena after sitting down on her bed.

"You know how I said the tomb was sealed by a witch in 1864?" Bonnie nods. "Her name was Emily Bennet." 

"Bennet? As in my last name? What does this mean?" Bonnie asked on the verge of freaking out.

"It means you're a witch Cinnabon. A very powerful witch, from a very powerful bloodline." Elena says 

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say." Bonnie whispers.

"Don't say anything. You don't have to. Just know that I will always love and support you and that If you're ever ready to tell the others they won't care either, honestly I think they'll think you're as awesome as I do." Elena comforts her friend.

"Thank you for telling me alone, I don't know if I want everyone to know yet."

"That's fine, I'm gonna go talk to Ty, just go downstairs when you're ready. I love you Bon Bon." Elena says while standing up.

"Okay."

Elena walks halfway down the stairs at yells.

"Ty come up here."

"Coming!" Tyler yells from the kitchen while walking towards the stairs.

"Have a seat." Elena says gesturing to Jeremy's bed while sitting in the desk chair.

"So... your a werewolf." 

Tyler snorts then notices Elena serious face.

"I think I would know if I turned into a big dog every month, but thank you." Tyler says fake sincerely.

"Right, silly me. You're not a werewolf, you just have the gene. Your uncle Mason is a werewolf." 

"El, that's crazy. I'm not a werewolf or have the gene." Tyler adds when Elena raises an eyebrow.

"Is it Ty? I mean I just told everyone I have a 500 year old vampire doppelganger. Is it really so crazy to believe your family comes from werewolves?" Elena asked.

"Yes El, it is SOO crazy to think my family comes from werewolves. But seeing as how if this was a joke you would've broken by now, you're serious aren't you?" Tyler realizes.

"Yeah Ty, I'm so sorry. I wish I was joking."

"What do I do? Am I gonna start turning into a wolf or something? When? Does it hurt?" Tyler starts freaking out.

"Ty, calm down."

"I can't calm down Elena, I'm a fucking werewolf!" Tyler yells.

"Well, there goes that secret." Elena murmurs knowing everyone in the house heard.

Matt and Jeremy burst into the room.

"Tyler's a werewolf?" They ask at the same time.

"No."  
"Yes." Elena and Tyler reply.

"If Tyler would've let me finish, I would have told him that it's a curse that you trigger not an age thing." Elena says to the boys.

"Explain everything El, please." Tyler says calming down a bit.

"Alright, well a really long time ago this witch cursed the tribe that killed her.  
To activate the curse any descendant of the original Seven Worewolf Bloodlines has to either on purpose or by accident take a human life." Elena says

"Oh my god, mason killed someone?" Tyler asked 

"Yes, but by accident. But that's not all."

Tyler gestures for her to continue.

"What makes the curse so terrible is that when triggered, on every full moon every bone in your body breaks and rearranges to become a wolf. When in wolf form you have no control and often kill people if not locked up." 

"So if I ever kill someone this will happen to me?" Tyler whispers terrified.

"Yes, but we will never let this happen. Do you understand?" Tyler nods. "But if it does I have a solution."

"Wait, you said seven bloodlines, there must be tons of werewolves or least people with the gene." Jeremy muses.

"There used to be but for the past thousand years they have been hunted into near extinction." Elena tells them.

"By who?" Matt asks.

"Vampires." 

"Why?" Tyler asks now paying attention.

"Originally? Male ego. But now, because a werewolf bite is lethal to vampires. And there's no cure yet so vampires usually kill any werewolf they meet just in case." Elena says.

"Oh great, not only could I have to lock myself up and break everyone in my body once a month, but every vampire we meet might kill me "just in case" how wonderful." Tyler says sarcastically.

"I'm really sorry Sweets, but on the brightside you'll have a really good sense of smell." Elena deadpans.

Tyler cracks a smile and the boys laugh at her attempt to lighten the mood.


	13. Pilot

Today is the day.

The day the Pilot starts.

The day Stefan finally introduces himself.

The day Damon reveals himself to Stefan.

The day Elena's totally gonna fuck with Steffy.

After Elena gets ready she heads to the kitchen where Jenna is freaking out about breakfast.

"Toast. I can make toast." Jenna says and Elena smiles remembering the pilot.

"We're good Jen, we got coffee." Elena says as Jeremy walks into the kitchen.

"Morning Aunt Jenna." Jeremy says as he takes the cup of coffee Elena made for him and kisses her cheek.

"Thank you El, good morning."

Elena smiles and ruffles his hair while he swats her hand away.

"Morning Jer. Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?"

"Your doing great Jen, and give it to Remy I'm good." Elena says while giving her a comforting look.

"Anything else? A number two pencil? What am I missing? Oh my god, the first day of school isn't Stefan showing up?"

"Yes Jen, he's finally gonna introduce himself." 

Elena sat Jenna down and told her everything, the night she told everyone else. She took it surprisingly well if you don't count her freaking out, running around, and searching through her dads things to find a good psychiatrist.

"And, you have a presentation today." Elena says in an amused tone.

With a face of realization Jenna says  
"I'm supposed to meet with my advisor at... now. Crap!"

"We're fine Aunt Jenna. Go!" Jeremy says rushing Jenna out the door.

"Be careful today, Ellie. Please don't do something to get yourself killed!" Jenna yells as she runs out the door.

After Jenna leaves Elena turns to Jeremy.

"Hey, you feeling okay this morning?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I gotta go but I'll see you at school. Love you Ellie. Jeremy replies while smiling softly at his sister.

"Okay good, love you too!" 

Elena turns toward the TV and sees the news report for the couple Damon killed.

"So it begins." She whispers to herself then realizes what she's doing, shakes her head, and walks away muttering about being creepy.  
__________

"Good morning Honey Bee, how are you doing this beautiful morning?" Elena greets Bonnie cheerfully while getting in her car.

"Good Morning El, I'm great. Not that I dont love it, but why are you so happy this morning?" Bonnie asks.

"Need I remind you my beautiful witch, that today is the day the gorgeous Stefan Salvatore stops stalking me and finally introduces himself?" 

"Right, Caroline has not stopped texting me about the Salvatores. She's so excited. Hey Grams has been teaching me a bunch of witchy stuff. I want to show everyone later."  
Bonnie tells Elena after remembering the trick she's been doing with feathers.

"Awesome! That's so cool! God, I'm so jealous. I wish I was a witch." Elena yells exited.

Bonnie was about to say something when a crow hit the car out of nowhere and they swerved.

"Dammit Damon!" Elena exclaims. "I forgot what a dick he was at first!"

"What a tool!" Bonnie says through a laugh.

Elena laughs and says "He gets much better... well kinda." She says after thinking about it. 

Elena and Bonnie bust out laughing again and drive away.  
_____________

The witch and doppelganger walk through the school halls looking for their friends, when they spot them Elena runs over and jumps on Tyler's back while giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello my beautiful friends. How we doing this morning?"

"Good." Matt, Vicki, and Tyler reply with a fond smile why Caroline walks up to Elena and hugs her.

"How are you, Ellie? Are you good? You seem good." Caroline says while Elena smiles at her.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you for asking, Care Bear."

"Good. So that means we can talk about the Salvatores!" Caroline says getting excited.

"Yes, Care. Speaking of, wait here. Rem, come with me. Watch this guys." Elena says as she pulls Jeremy into the bathroom while the group laughs at Jeremy's grossed out face. 

"Look El, I know we're close but I think this is crossing a line." Jeremy says while Elena checks the stalls and makes a kid leave.

"What? Ew. What? No. This is how I met Stefan in the OG timeline, I wanted to mess with him." Elena tells Jeremy.

"Right, that makes more sense. Hey, do you think provoking a vampire is the best move?" Jeremy asks his sister.

"Maybe if it was anyone else but Stefan is totally obsessed with this face so he wont do anything, plus he's on the bunny diet." Elena assures him.

"Okay, just please be careful. I don't want you to get hurt." Jeremy says kinda sadly.

"I promise everything will be fine Rem. I'm not going anywhere. Now leave." Elena says sincerely then pushes him towards the door.

Elena waits a few seconds then walks out the door bumping into stefan.

"Uh, pardon me." Stefan says as Elena stares speechless.

Elena did not prepare for this. She was planning on messing with him by making vampire jokes, she thought because she doesn't really feel romantic attraction the doppelganger pull wouldn't work on her. On some level she was right. But the pull must had redirected to the attraction part of her brain because she was less imagining her perfect future with him and more fantasizing about all the different ways sex with a vampire could be so much better, so in a way she was imagining her perfect future.

"Um... Is this the men's room?" Stefan asks while no doubt wondering why she was staring at him like a very rare steak.

"Yes, sorry. I was. It doesn't matter." Elena says while trying to leave. She thought it was more appropriate then trying to drag him back in there with her.

Stefan smiles at her flustered state and let's her pass him.

"Thanks." Elena mumbles while making her way back to her snickering friends.  
____

"What the hell was that Ellie?" Tyler asked though a laugh.

"Shut up! I was not prepared for how green his eyes are." Elena yells then finishes dreamily.

The group laughs at her as she realizes what she said.

"Oh my God, what is wrong with me?" I think I'm broken! Matty carry me to the nurse." Elena says panicky.

"El, calm down. Your fine. But, what was that?" Vicki asks her while trying to comfort her.

"I dont know. I think that doppelganger pull thing is effecting me. I want to jump him Vic, I wanna jump him real bad." Elena says calming down a bit.

They all laugh at her again and she joins in a little.

"Sorry guys. It's just... wow I was not expecting that at all. I think I'm good now."  
Elena says while smiling at her friends.

"Hey, do guys think I'm a doppelganger? Because I'm definitely feeling the need to jump him too." Caroline says with fake concern while the group laughs and starts heading to class.

"No baby, he's just really hot." Elena plays along in an amused tone while Caroline nods and smiles.

_______

"Once are home state of Virginia joins the confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region join the union." 

While tanner is speaking to the class, Stefan keeps glancing at Elena but she keeps her eyes on Tanner until she gets a text.

Bonnie: HAWT-E STARING @ U.

Seeing the text is the same from the show Elena laughs out loud, looks over to stefan, and winks while Bonnie laughs and Matt shakes his head with a small smile.

_________

Sitting in the cemetery Elena pretends to write in a journal.

"Dear non-existent diary, I am currently sitting by my second set of parents tombstones (which is very disturbing) and pretending to write about how much I miss them. I do miss them but, I think I'm ok with their death knowing they found peace. On a less real note, I completely forgot that this cemetery was hella creepy. I'm currently waiting for damon to scare me with the fog and weird ass crow so I can make fun of him for it. If I see stefan I see stefan. Whatever. I don't care. His eyes are so green."

A crow starts cawing interrupting Elena.

"Anyway Damon just got here and I got to go mess with him. He's so easy. I kinda like writing in a journal, maybe I'll keep doing it."

Elena stands up and packs her things.

"Hello there." Elena says to the bird while fog starts filling the Cemetery.

Elena rolls her eyes and mutters "such a drama queen."

Elena walks away but doubles back and walks up behind Damon. She swears she saw him jump a little when she taps his shoulder.

When he turns around Elena greets him the best way she knows how.

"Well hello there, Blue Eyed Stranger, What's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?" She asked with flirty grin

He raises an eyebrow and replies in equally flirty tone.

"I think that's my line..."

"Elena. But I go by El or Ellie." Elena finishes for him.

"Ellie. So Ellie, why are you in cemetery all by yourself? You know it could be very dangerous." He says in a teasing tone.

"Well of course it is. You're here."

Damon grins at her.

"I have know idea what you mean by that. I was just an innocent man visiting family when you walked up to me. For all I know, you could be a murderer." Damon says in a teasing tone.

Elena's grin turns into an amused smile.

"You caught me. I was gonna kill you, but your established yourself as a person when you said you were visiting family. If I had a conscious, I wouldn't want your death on it, Blue Eyed Stranger.

Damon's grin widened at her teasing.

"Must be my lucky day. What are you doing here... other than prowling for victims that's is." Damon asked her a little curious.

"Well..." Elena trails off waiting for him to supply his name.

"Damon."

"Damon, I'm here visiting my parents."

Damon's eyes soften a little when Elena's tone got a little quieter.

"I'm sorry, I lost both my parents as well. Although it was a while ago." Damon adds cheekily.

"It's all good, you didn't kill them." Elena says teasingly thinking about how he did drain Isobel.

"Well its was lovely speaking to you Ellie, but I can't have my brother knowing about me, just yet." Damon says while trying to compel her.

When she laughs at him and calls him weird he notices she smells like vervain.

"Yes, I am weird. If you don't mind me asking, what is that scent your wearing?" Damon says trying to cover up his aggravation.

"Oh, I'm not sure my parents got me and my friends the same perfume for Christmas last year. It kinda smells like roses doesn't it." Elena says leaning in a little bit while he try's to dodge her, not wanting to get burned.

"Yes, it's wonderful." Damon says with clenched hands and flared nostrils. 

Elena loves this, messing with Damon. It is so much fun.  
With a humanity less Damon the stakes are so much higher, he could snap and just kill her right here.  
Wow, maybe she's an adrenaline junkie, eh whatever.

"Well it was great meeting you, Damon. But I've got to go. Hope I see you around." Elena says backing away from the vampire.

"Same to you, Ellie. I have no doubt we will see each other again." Damon replies while pretending to be chill.  
_________

While Elena was leaving the Cemetery she runs into Stefan, like literally runs into him and falls to the groud.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asks why helping Elena up.

"Yeah, totally. Sorry for bumping into you... again." Elena says remembering when she bumped into him this morning.

Stefan smiles and introduces himself.

"I'm Stefan."

"I know. The whole school knows. It's nice to officially meet you, I'm Elena but I go by El or Ellie." Elena tells him while noticing the pull is still very much effecting her.

"It's nice to officially meet you too, El. If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" Stefan asks her even though she knows he knows.

"I could ask you the same thing." Elena says in an offended tone.

"Oh, uh... I'm-" Stefan stutterers out before she interrupts him with a laugh.

"Sorry, I'm just messing with you. I'm here visiting my parents. You?" She ask already knowing he's here stalking her.

Stefan laughs a little.

"Right. Just visiting some family." Stefan says and after a weird silence Elena breaks it.

"Hey, some of my friends and I are gonna meet up at the grill later. You wanna come?" She invites him.

"Um, sure." Stefan replies caught off guard by her invitation.

"Cool, just give me your number and I'll text you the time." Elena says pulling out her phone.

After he gives her his number they say goodbye and Elena heads home to get ready.  
_________

Elena and Jeremy arrive at the grill walk over to Vicki section where Matt, Tyler, Bonnie, and Caroline are seated.

"Hey, guys." Vicki calls out to them as they sit down in the booth.

"Hey Vic, do you think they would hire me here?" Elena asks Vicki as she sits down next to Tyler and he throws an arm over here shoulder.

"Probably. I can put in a good word. Why do you want a job?" Vicki asks. 

"I got big plans for all of us and I'm gonna need funding." Elena answers vaguely.

"Ellie, why are you always so cryptic? You know you can tell us anything right?" Bonnie asks Elena.

"I know. I promise it has nothing to do with my weird shit, just some things planned for vacation." Elena tells them.

"Oooh, what have you got planned in that crazy little head of yours?" Tyler asks while patting her head and grabbing a fry from his plate.

Elena swats his hand and snuggles under his arm. "Nothing definitive. I just want us to do something epic. Anyway, Stefan's meeting us here, any minute now." Elena says looking around the grill.

Caroline chokes on her drink. "What! He's coming here? He's coming here right now?" Caroline whisper yells at the group.

They laugh at her and Elena replies  
"Yeah, I ran into him at the cemetery and invited him. Side note, I talked to Damon today." 

"Damon, the humanity less brother? Why did you talk to him?" Matt and Jeremy ask her concerned 

"That's the one. He was being weird with a crow and some fog, I had to mess with him. You should've seen his face when he tried to compel me. It was hilarious." Elena tells them smiling at the memory of his anger.

"Oh my God, did he do something to you?" Vicki asks while looking her over.

"No, I told you guys. He's in love with my face, he's not going to do anything to me. Now shut up, Stefan's here. Elena hurriedly tells them.

"Hey Stefan."

"Hey man."

"Hi."

"Hey Steffy."

"Hey, nice to meet you guys. Thanks for inviting me. Steffy?" Stefan asks Elena amused.

"Just go with it man. She won't stop." Jeremy tells stefan.

"Glad you could make it Stef, have a seat. Let me introduce me to the Group. This is my baby brother Jeremy and my best friends Tyler, Matt, Bonnie, and Caroline." Elena says pointing to them.

Tyler shakes his hand "I'm her "bestest" friend. It's nice to meet you."

After Matt shakes his hand and Bonnie waves at him Caroline speaks up.

"Bestest is not a word and if she had a "bestest" friend it would very clearly be me. Nice to meet you Stefan." Caroline glares Tyler then smiles at Stefan.

As Vicki walks over to the table Elena says "And this beautiful waitress is Vicki, Matty's sister and my not so secret favorite. Don't tell the others." Elena mock whispers the last part.

Stefan laughs as Vicki smiles and others roll their eyes.

"Nice to meet you Vicki."

"You too. Can I get you guys anything? If I spend anymore time over here my boss is gonna yell at me again." Vicki rushes out.

"Where is that lil bitch? I'll give him a piece of my mind." Elena tries to stand up and Tyler drags her down.

The whole table aside from Stefan shout "NO!" at Elena while Stefan jumps a little.

"Ugh! You guys never let me do anything fun." Elena exclaims and lays her head on the table.

"Ellie, you made that guy cry." Tyler tells her gently while the group looks on amused.

"He was being mean to my Care Bear." Elena says sternly.

"El, we were drunk and he very politely declined to give us his car keys." Caroline tells her stifling a laugh.

"Whatever, he could have been nicer." Elena pouts.

The group laughs and Caroline changes the subject.

"So, you were born in Mystic Falls?" She asks Stefan.

"Mm-Hmm. And I moved when I was still young." The group tried to hide their knowing smiles.

"Parents?" Bonnie ask him not knowing he killed his father.

"My parents passed away."

"I'm sorry. Any siblings?" Elena asked but what she really wanted to do was tell stefan killing his dad was not his fault and that his mothers still alive.

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle."

"So, you have some you don't talk to." Tyler chimes in.

Stefan grimaces a little "Yes, older brother. We're not on the best of terms." 

"So, Stefan, since you're new, you don't know about the party tomorrow." Caroline tells him.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls." Bonnie finishes for her.

Stefan turns to Elena "Are you going?"

Bonnie and Caroline giggle at Stefan's lovestruck face.

"Of course she is." Bonnie tells him.


	14. Pilot pt.2

After Stefan left, Elena decides to tell the group what would happen at the party.

"Hey guys, come over here." Elena called the boys away from the pool table.

"What's up, El?" Jeremy asks as he sits down.

"In the OG timeline tomorrow night Damon attacks Vic at the party, she survives. But I still don't want any of you to go into the woods, let's all stay where we can see each other and nobody get too drunk. Okay?" Elena ask seriously.

"Are you certain nothing will happen If we stay in sight?" Matt asks worried for his sister.

"Yes. I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you." Elena tells them.

"Wow, El being serious for more than two minutes. This is new." Tyler try's to lighten the mood.

"Ellie, I trust you. I know you just want to protect us." Vicki says while holding Elena's hand and smiling at her.

Elena returns the smile.  
__________

"The battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in the battle? Ms. Bennet?" 

"Um... a lot? I'm not sure. Like a whole lot." Bonnie responds with a cute smile. 

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms Bennet. Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?" Tanner asks Matt.

Elena looks to Bonnie and they laugh.

"It's cool Mr. Tanner. I'm cool with it." The class laughs as Elena rolls her eyes and smiles.

"Hmm. Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?" Tanner asks her.

"Hmm. Let me think... hard pass." The class snickers at Tanners angry face before he replies.

"I would expect nothing less from you. I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break." Even though Elena knew it was coming it didn't hurt any less. But she just gave him a sarcastic smile.

"There were 346 casualties. Unless you're counting local civilians." Stefan came to Elena's rescue.

"That's correct. Mister...?"

"Salvatore." Stefan supplied.

"Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here in Mystic Falls?"

Stefan hesitates "Distant." Elena, Bonnie, and Matt all smile a little.

"Well, very good. Except, of course there were no civilian casualties in this battle." Tanner says in a condescending tone.

"Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they fired on a church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall of you'd like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner." The whole class smiles at Stefan decimating Tanners ego.   
__________

At the party Elena reminded them to stay close and not drink too much.

As they were all standing around cracking jokes and laughing. Elena couldn't help but feel completely happy for the first time since her parents died.

Happy to be loved by and love so many amazing people.

And looking over at Jeremy she can see it in his eyes he was feeling the same way.

"Can we please talk about the way Stefan keeps gazing at Elena?" Bonnie jokingly asks the group.

"Yes! Oh my God, it's crazy. I mean Ellie's great. But he doesn't know her." Caroline exclaims loudly.

"I mean, Lena is really pretty." Matt quietly defends Stefan.

The group laughs at Matt's crush and Elena gasps dramatically and put a hand in her heart.

"How dare you? I am not "pretty." I am GORGEOUS. I am SEXY. I am TRANSCENDENT. A GODDESS amongst mortals is what I am." Elena states dramatically as the group laugh at her theatrics.

"Now that that's settled, it's not Stefans fault. Not only am I ridiculously attractive, but it's the doppelganger thing. The only reason he felt drawn to Katherine is because of the traveler spell. And when he sees me, he sees Kitty Kat even if he won't admit to himself." The group nods their heads.

"One of these days you're gonna need to explain the whole doppelganger thing." Vicki says while the group agrees.

"Totally, it's kinda a long story and it bums me out but just remind me and I will tell you guys." Elena agrees and starts looking around.

"Hey guys, look." Elena points to Stefan who just got there.

"Yo, Stefan!" Tyler calls Stefan over to the group.

Stefan looks up and smiles when he sees them only for his expression to change into the lovestruck look when he sees Elena.

"Okay, I see what you mean." Matt mutters and the group starts laughing.

The group stop laughing when Stefan gets to them.

"Hey guys, this is great. Thanks for inviting me." Stefan says why looking around the party.

"Of course, it's my duty as future Miss Mystic Falls to make all newcomers feel welcome." Caroline says in her most cordial tone.

"The rest of us aren't going to be Miss Mystic Falls, but we like you." Jeremy says as the group laughs.

"Hey, wanna take a walk?" Stefan asks Elena.

"Sure. Hey guys, I'll be back." Elena tells the group and sends a pointed look to Bonnie who's smiling teasingly at her. 

"So, why'd you wanna take a walk?" Elena asks Stefan.

"Uh, it was little crowded. I want to get to know you. You've got the mysterious thing going on."

"I really don't, there's not really much to say. I'm 17, I have 1 brother, I'm a cheerleader, and my parents died last spring. Me and my brother were in the car with them but we survived." Elena tells him even though she knows he knows.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. You and Jeremy seem to be doing okay considering." Stefan says in a curious tone.

"Remy has been my rock. I think without him I would have already lost my mind 10 times over." Elena says with a laugh.

"It was bad at first though. I didn't know what to do. I was just his sister, then suddenly I have to be his mom and dad? It scared me. But everytime I would be on the verge of freaking out, Rem would pop his head in my room or climb in my bed saying he didn't want to be alone and it would remind me why I couldn't freak, because he needs me." Elena finishes then gets embarrassed for vomiting emotions all over him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to unload on you. Send me your bill." Stefan laughs.

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you're letting it out. I like listening to you." Stefan says embarrassed at his last sentence.

"And you couldn't afford me." Stefan jokes

Elena stops and looks at him confused. Isn't he supposed to be super serious and broody all the time? She decides she likes this Stefan.

"You're a really good listener. Thank you. But what about you? Got any baggage you'd like to unpack? I'm here for it all. Family issues? Mental illness? Shameful kinks?" Elena says with a raised eyebrow while looking him up and down.

Stefan shakes his head and laughs.

"No mental illnesses or kinks I'll ever cop to." Elena laughs.

"But, my brother, the one I said I'm on the outs with." Elena nods "Well he's my only family left, besides my uncle. And we haven't seen or talked to each other in fif- forever." Stefan catches himself. "Whenever we do see each other, we make up and things are great, but then something happens and it's right back to the way it was before." Stefan says sadly.

Stefan has no idea why he's telling El all of this. She's just so easy to talk to and hearing her talk about her brother got him thinking about Damon.

"I'm really sorry, Stef. I don't know what i would do if I fought with Rem." Elena says genuinely sympathetic.

Stefan clears his throat "Anyway, I really like your friends. You all seem really close. That's rare." 

"They're the best friends in world. I could not ask for a better group of people to love and be loved by. They are the next thing after Remy that got me through my grief. They really like you, you know." Elena says smiling at him.

"That's great, I'm glad you have them. And they are really welcoming." Stefan says while staring into Elena's eyes.

For a moment Elena considers kissing him, giving into the pull, consequences be damned. But when she looks into his eyes she doesn't see the lust that's definitely shining in hers, she sees love, pure, true, unmistakable love. And she's reminded, not only does he not see her, he's sees Kat, but he's so sweet and genuine he doesn't even know it. Right when she decides to never take advantage of his good heart his eyes start changing.

"Hey, are you okay? Your eye." Elena fake stutters out.

"Oh, um... Yeah, no. It's, um, it's nothing. Are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink." Stefan real stutters out and walks away.

Elena breaths out a sigh of relief and walks back over to the Mystic Falls Gang.

________

When Elena walks back over to her friends they ask about stefan and make fun of her when she groans loudly and mutters about how green his eyes are.

"It's not my fault! There is a literal love spell put on us. Honestly it's a miracle I haven't left the party with him already." Elena says while Jeremy covers his ears.

"Ew, ew, we. Don't say stuff like that in front of me." Everyone laughs at the group baby.

"And it doesn't help that when he looks at me he sees the love of his life." Elena defends.

Bonnie's about to say something when a cry for help is heard from the woods.

"Oh my God! Someone help he's bleeding! Oh my God!"

"Call 911!"

"Oh my god, it happened anyway." Elena whispers wide eyed as they watch people run over to the bleeding kid.

"This is not your fault El, if it wasn't him it would have been Vicki." Matt tries to reassure Elena.

"I know. I don't regret it. I mean, I feel bad for that kid, but I'll always choose you guys over anyone else. I just realized that I can't just mess around with them and subtlety change things. I need to talk to them and tell the truth." Elena states.

"Are you sure Ellie? That might backfire." Tyler says.

"I don't care. What if next time I change something to save one of you, and another one of you gets hurt instead. This is gonna have to work. I refuse to sit by and let Damon be the idiot that he is and get the people I love hurt. Besides, could be fun." Elena tries to convince herself.

"Okay El, do what you think is best." Matt says.

"Yeah, we trust you." Vicki says.

"Just please be careful." Jeremy tells his sister.

"I got this guys. I'll tell them tomorrow. Let's go Rem. Bye guys. Text me when you get home. Love you. Oh and Care go straight home. That goes for all of you, don't go to the grill." Elena warns her friends.

"Ok El, we love you too!" Caroline shouts after her as the others say goodbye.  
___________

Stefan runs home and barges in the house.

"What's going on?" Zach asks when he sees Stefans freaked expression.

"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me." Stefan stomps up the stairs.

Stefan walks in his room, then a crow flies in cawing. 

Stefan turns around with a shocked expression.

"Damon."

"Hello, brother." Damon says with his usual cocky smirk.

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan asks trying to cover his shock.

"Wait till you see what I can do with the fog."

"When'd you get here?"

"Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school. Your hair's different. I like it." Damon deflects the question.

"It's been 15 years, Damon." Stefan stresses.

"Thank God. I couldn't take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you. Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."

"Why are you here?" Stefan asks louder.

"I miss my little brother." Damon responds mockingly.

"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do." 

"I've managed to keep myself busy." Damon replies with a smirk.

"You know, you left that guy alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you."

"Ah, that could be a problem... for you."

"Why are you here now?" Stefan asks in a final tone.

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all in one little word... Ellie." Damon says with a knowing smile.

"She took my breath away. Ellie. Or is it El? She's a dead ringer for Katherine. Is it working, Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?" Damon asks walking close to Stefan.

"She's not Katherine." Stefan says in a definitive tone. 

"Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended. Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?" Damon ask while leaning closer to Stefans face.

"I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work."

"Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?" Damon shoves Stefan.

"Stop it."

"Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there. Or let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for Ellie." Damon says still slapping Stefan Around when Stefsn shoves him and shouts.

"Stop it!"

"Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Damon yells as Stefans face starts changing.

"I can."

"I said stop!" Stefans face transforms and he tackles Damon out the window.

When Stefan lands, Damon's not under him, he looks around.

"I was impressed. I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face...thing." damon fake snarles. "It was good." He mocks.

"You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die." Stefan tries to reason.

"That's a given." Damon responds with a duh face.

"Not here. I won't allow it." Stefan says sternly.

"I take that as an invitation."

"Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" Stefan begs.

"I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word."

"Just stay away from El."

"Where's your ring? Oh, yeah, sun's coming up in a couple of hours, and, poof, ashes to ashes. Relax. It's right here." Damon says then grabs Stefan by the throat and throws him.

"You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." Damon says finally getting angry. "I think we woke Zach up. Sorry, Zach." Damon says covering his emotions again.  
________

Elena is surprised to see Stefan outside her house but runs to the door anyway.

"I know it's late. But, uh... I needed to know that you were ok." Stefan says emotionally.

"Yeah, Stef, I'm fine. Are you okay?" Elena asks knowing Damon just showed himself.

"You know, I don't know." Stefan says looking drained.

"Do you want to come in and talk?" Elena asks tilting her head and lean on the door.

"Yes. I would like that." Stefan walks through the door.

For the next few hours Elena and Stefan talk about all sort of things, like books, movie, and music. But most importantly Elena gets him to open up about Damon and Katherine.

All night Stefan cracks jokes and is more outgoing than Elena remembers from the show. She love it. It reminds her of how he is with Lexi. It makes her feel like he trusts her more than he's trying to impress her.

She keeps trying to find ways to bring up the vampire thing but doesn't want to ruin his rare mood, so she decides to tell him tomorrow.

Elena really likes Stefan. She's glad she's getting to know this side of him and hopes he still wants to be her friend when she tells him the truth.


	15. Confusing the Salvatores

Waking up Elena feels happy. 

She may not have feelings for Stefan, but it doesn't mean she doesn't care about him.

Last night she saw a side of him that was rarely ever shown on the show and she loved it.

She's really glad she decided to befriend him instead of just ignoring him until he leaves.

But today she has to tell him the truth and she's afraid he won't want to be her friend anymore.

She's going to help him either way, because she thinks he deserves better.

Elena wakes up Jeremy for school and gets ready for the day.  
______

"Originally discovered nearly five centuries ago, it hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years. Now, the comet will be its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow's celebration. Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Ms. Gilbert?" Tanner asks interrupting Elena making weird faces at Stefan and him laughing.

"Honestly?" Elena asks in a fake curious tone and the class laughs.  
______

"Hey, thanks for last night. It's been a while since I talked about my brother or Katherine." Stefan says to Elena while walking down the hallway.

"It was not problem. After I spilled all my emotions on you at the party, I owed you." Elena tells him.

"Still meant alot. You know I wasn't expecting to make so many friend in my first week." Stefan says when Bonnie and Caroline wave at him as they pass them in the hall.

"Well you are very easy to like. Hey, I'm gonna go catch up with them, but we should meet up at the grill after school. Yeah?" Elena basically tells him instead of asking.

Stefan smiles at her invitation. "Yeah sure. The grill?" 

"Yep. See you there. Bye." Elena waves and walks away.  
________

When their food arrives, before Elena can start the conversation Stefan asks.

"So, was there any particular reason you wanted to get food or did you just want to spend time with me?" Stefan asks fake cocky.

Elena smiles at his joke, still caught off guard when he plays around.

"Cute. As much as I love hanging with you, there is some stuff I wanted to talk to you about." 

"Oh, really? Well, what's up?" Stefan asks with mild concern.

"Uh, it actually involves your brother as well. Maybe we should go to your place when we finish?" 

"My brother? Uh, sure." Stefan responds seriously confused.

After they finish their meals they head over to the the boarding house.  
________

Stefan opens the front door still confused and gestures inside.

"After you."

"Thanks. What a gentleman." Elena teases him and he cracks a small smile.

"So what exactly did you want us to talk about and why did we need to be here to do it?" Stefan asks leaning closer to Elena.

Elena swallows and takes a step back.

"We're gonna need Damon for this so... Damon get your ass down here!!" Elena hollers making Stefan jump and look at her like she's crazy.

Damon appears behind Stefan... subtle.

"Well hello there, Ellie. I told you we would see each other again." He says smugly covering up his confusion.

"Yes, you did. It's good to see you, Ocean eyes." Elena greets while Stefan asks even more confused

"Wait, you guys have met?" 

"Yes Stef, catch up. But that is not why I'm here. I'm gonna need you two to have a seat." Elena motions to the couch.

When they sit down Elena begins.

"Okay, I'm about to lay a lot of stuff on you and I'm gonna need you to just hear me out. Okay?" 

"Of course." Stefan says concerned.

"Sure." Damon fakes being bored to cover up his curiosity.

"Alright. I know."

At their confused faces Elena continues.

"That you guys are vampires." Their jaws drop and before they can collect them off the floor, Elena states

"I know about Katherine. A lot to share there by the way, but that's for another time." 

The only thing Stefan can ask is "How?" While Damon is silent trying to process.

"I know the future. Well a version of the future, that I probably already completely fucked." Elena says while rubbing the back of her neck.

"Who else?" Stefan asks recovering a bit.

"Umm, just... the whole group?" Elena says more like a question than an answer.

"How long?"

"My whole life." Elena answers.

"Why?"

"What?" Now Elena was the confused one.

"If you knew what I was and that I was lying to everyone, why did you talk to me? Why didn't you blow me off?" Stefan asks

Elena smiles "Because your worth knowing, Stefan." She tells him honestly.

"What about me?" Damon finally speaks.

"Why did you talk to me at the cemetery? Why not run the opposite direction?" 

"Same answer." Elena tells him seriously.

"Now that that's settled, any more questions?" Elena asks gaining her confidence back.

"How much do you know?" Damon asks no doubt worried about his plans to open the tomb.

"I know why you're here, if that's your question." Elena says a little too smug for Damon's liking.

Elena surrenders with her hands when he appears in front of her.  
"Now, Damon before you snap my neck, just let me explain."

Stefan speeds infront of Elena and pushes Damon away. Elena puts a hand on his arm and shakes her head.

"Please sit back down." When they do Elena continues. " I don't just know the future. I know alot of the past too."

"So you know I'm a-" Elena cuts Stefan off.

"Yes, I know your a ripper. And I think I can help. I don't want you to get your hopes up though." Elena says while looking into his eyes.

"What do you know about why I'm here?" Damon interrupts them annoyed.

"Everything. And I think you should tell Stefan." She tells him sternly.

"Tell me what?" Stefan says looking between them.

"That's not happening." Damon says sternly.

"You tell him and I'll help you." 

Elena raises an eyebrow at Damon and he huffs loudly.

"Fine! Katherine's not dead. She's been stuck in a tomb for the last 145 years and I'm here to get her out." 

"Eh, true enough." Elena mutters before Stefan can respond and Damon's head snaps towards her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What that means, is that you don't just want her. You want revenge on this town. Which is something I'm not gonna let happen. And also... 

"Um... Stefan do you mind just standing right here?" Elena asks while pulling Stefan off the couch and placing him infront of her. What? She likes the guy, but doesn't feel like dying today. 

"Well, Kitty Kat is alive, but she's not in the tomb." Elena tells him sympathetically.

All she hears is crashing as Damon jumps up and runs towards her while Stefan holds him back.

"Take it back! You're wrong! She's in there! She has to be in there!" Damon yells with his face vamped out.

"I'm sorry Damon, I wont bring it up again, just calm down. Please." Elena says walking closer to them.

After a few minutes of silence Elena starts talking again. 

"Look, there is tons of stuff I need to tell you but the first thing Damon needs to do is compel that guy he attacked at the party. We can't have a someone singing vampire to anyone who will listen, because there are people in this town who will believe him."

When Stefan and Damon just look at her she continues.

"Next thing, I'm gonna need you to promise not to hurt any of my friends." 

Damon laughs and asks mockingly "And why would I do that?"

Elena smiles sarcastically 

"Because all my friends happen to be from founding families and we all know what that means..." When they just stare at her she remembers how early they are in the timeline.

"Right, you don't know what that means yet. Well, let's just say you need to go shopping for some clothes appropriate for council meetings." 

"Uh- uh, no way. It's been 145 years. How much could they possibly know?" Damon argues.

"I'm sorry. Which one of us knows the future? Is it you? Because I'm pretty sure it's not you." Elena snaps annoyed.

Stefan smiles a little and looks down to hide it.

"What this means Damon." Elena says as though he's a small child. "Is that you need to stop killing random people and start doing snatch, eat, and erase. The fewer people the better. The council might get suspicious if suddenly everyone starts wearing scarves.   
Now, do you give me your word or do I need to show you what 10 years of training by a vampire hunter looks like?" She finishes with a raised brow.

Damon holds up his hands. "Okay. You have my word." 

Elena sees the wheels turning in his head and nips that thought in the bud.

"And before you say it, no you can't just kill all the council members." She says in a scolding tone.

"Why not." Damon asks in a whiny tone.

"Because I know something you don't know." Elena sing songs.

"That's gonna get old, very fast." Damon states annoyed.

"So, how much have you changed about the future?" Stefan asks curiously.

"A fair amount." Elene answers.

"Well? Are you gonna tell us our future's?" Damon asks amused.

"Nope. I don't do that. Trust me, it'll get very messy. Just live your lives and if you think you're about to do something that could have a lot of consequences, give me a call and I'll let you know." Elena tells them.

"What did you mean "a version of the future?" Isn't there just one?" Stefan asks.

"Well, it's really complicated, so how I explained it to my friends was to ask them to think of their lives and everything they've done so far. And then think about if someone hit the reset button and you got to fix all the things you wanted to fix. Wouldn't you be entirely different person?  
So I think of the future I saw as the OG timeline and everything in this timeline has been affected since the day I was born. Because I inadvertently changed really subtle things. Even now I'm changing your future and that could change the people you meet or would have mets future. The butterfly effect is very real." Elena tries to explain to them.

"So why wont you tell people their futures?" Stefan asks.

"Too many variables. If I change something and could think out all the foreseeable potential outcomes, I have some control. But If I tell you something that will happen or would have happened in the future and you make a decision I didn't think out, there could be tons of change. This is why I try not to be a control freak in my every day life, because I'm already responsible for changing so many people's lives." 

"What's the most significant?" Stefan asks.

"This one." Elena says part jokingly.

"Bedsides this." 

"The biggest change I've made is probably saving and storing some things I'm gonna need in a few months. But the biggest change I've tried to make is saving my parents." Elena looks at him and he knows she knows he saved her.

"Thank you. For saving us. In the OG timeline, me and my parents went over a bridge. You jumped in the water to help and my dad told you to save me. When you saw me you were freaked, but saved me anyway. They didn't make it." 

"I'm so sorry." Stefan grabs her hand.

"I tried to save them. I thought I could save them, but I just made it worse. If you hadn't of been there, me and Remy would be dead." Elena hugs him.

Elena pulls away and clears her throat.

"God, what is it about you that keeps making me spill my soul to you?" She asks with a laugh and he joins.

Elena looks over at Damon who has an awkward look on his face.

"Anyway, one of the main things I wanted to talk to you about is Augustine." When look of realization comes onto his face Elena adds. "And before you ask, Yes, Damon, I'm aware of your game of Whack-a-Whitmore. Creative... Really fucked up, but creative."

Seeing the look on Damon's face Stefan asks.

"What's Augustine?"

Elena sends a look to Damon and he huffs and tells Stefan.

"Augustine is a secret society, filled with vampire-probing, blood-testing, organ-removing freaks who imprisoned me for five years in the Fifties." Damon says getting angry, probably thinking about Enzo.

"You were imprisoned and tortured for five years, and I never knew!?" Stefan shouts at Damon.

"Yes." Damon says calmly.

"Yes? Fine. What does "Whack-a-Whitmore" mean?" Stefan asks and Damon grimaces.

"Now Stef, before he tells you just remember that you literally tore apart an entire migrant village and are an actual serial killer, with a cool name and everything. So, maybe don't judge." Elena tries to help Damon out.

"When I finally escaped, I decided to get a some revenge. I killed all the members, like Dr. Whitmore." Elena send him a look and he continues. "And their families." When it looks like Damon's not going to tell the best part Elena cuts in.

"Whack-a-Whitmore is what I like to call him killing every single Whitmore in a generation except one, so they can carry on the name, just so he can do it again." Elena explains in a way too amused tone for the topic while Stefan's jaw drops.

"That's horrible Da-" Elena cuts Stefan off.

"Ripper of Monterey, Stefan. No judging." She says as Damon points to her and nods his head.

"Think whatever you want, Stefan, but Ellie likes it." Damon says with a smug smile.

"That's not a good thing, Damon. I'm a terrible person." Elena says laughing.

Before Stefan could defend her she starts talking.

"That wonderful/horrible killing game is not why I brought Augustine up. The reason is because a pretty high priority on my list of things I'm going to change is titled "Liberate Lorenzo st. John." Elena says with a cocky smirk.

Damon is stunned into silence.

Elena giggles at Damon's dear caught in headlights look and leans closer to a very confused Stefan.

"Did you hear that Stefan? That was sound of me blowing his mind." She whispers to him.

After a moment, Damon recovers and questions Elena.

"What do you mean liberate? Enzo's dead. I saw him die." Damon said 

"No, what you saw was his heartbroken face as you backed away and left him for dead. Cold hearted. Someone saved him. He's still at Whitemore. Possibly being tortured right now." Elena muses.

"Oh, my God." Damon mutters.

"Wait, who's Enzo?" Stefan asks confused.

Seeing that Damon is done answering questions Elena talks for him.

"He was Damon's cellmate and only friend for five years, when they planned to escape there was an accident and Damon couldn't get him out. Knowing he could only save himself, Damon turned off his humanity and left him behind." Elena gave him the basics.

"And he's still there? What do we do?" Stefan asks panicky.

"What do you mean "what do we do?" I'm gonna get him out!" Damon raises his voice and stands up.

"Hold on, hold on." Elena walks up to him.

"I have a plan. It might take a little while, but we will get him back." She tries to assure him.

"Yeah? Well I have a better plan, I'm gonna go there, kill everyone, then get Enzo." He says while Stefan stands in front of him.

"Great plan, Day. But, quick question. How are you gonna get through the door?" 

"What do you mean? It's a school. Not a home. I don't need an invite." He tells her like she's dumb.

"Not where they keep him. Augustine has the place listed as a residential building so vampires can't get in. I have been planning this for years. I promise you this is important to me. If I were you, I would use this time to think up an amazing apology." She tells him sincerely.

"Enzo will understand. I had to get out of there. He would have done the same." Damon defends.

"Oh, for sure. Gotta look out for #1. But what I meant was an apology for killing his precious Maggie." 

"What the hell are you talking about? I never even met Maggie, Enzo compelled her to forget about him." 

"Yes, well do you remember the night Kennedy was elected?"

"Oh shit." He mutters.

"Oh shit is correct, Ocean eyes." She tells him.

"What happened on election night?" Stefan asks.

"Oh nothing really. Damon here just tore her head off. No big deal." Elena says a little amused.

"What!?" Stefan shouts.

Noticing the looks on their faces, Elena gets up and walks towards the door.

"Look, I think you two need to talk. I'm gonna go. If you have anymore questions, give me a call."


	16. Comet

"So..." Damon trails off.

"Yeah." Stefan returns.

"Do you believe her?" Damon's asks still processing everything she said.

"About which part?" 

"I don't know. Everything? Knowing the future and past? Wanting to help me? Breaking out Enzo? Do you believe her?"

"I don't know. El is not what I thought, but I think we can trust her. If we couldn't, she wouldn't have told you about Enzo or talked to us at all." Stefan tells him.

"She's got fire, that's for sure. She kinda reminds me of Katherine, resembles aside."  
Damon says with a thoughtful expression.

"No, she's not like Katherine. She doesn't play games." Stefan says.

"Speaking of, do you want to talk about what she told you?" Stefan asks cautiously.

"Nope." Damon replies getting up and walking out the door.  
________

The next day Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and Vicki are handing out pamphlets about the nights comet, while talking about the green eyed Salvatore.

"So, he hasn't called?" Bonnie asks Elena.

"Nope. Not even a text. I mean, I totally understand, I dropped a pretty major bomb on him. I just... I don't know." Elena says while shaking head.

"Well, I do. You like him. You want to be his friend and now you're afraid he'll reject you." Caroline tells Elena sympathetically.

"I see the doctor's in." Vicki tease as Caroline sticks her tongue out at her and Bonnie and Elena smile.   
"But she totally right. Don't worry El, he'll come around. I think he likes you too. And before you say it, not because the doppelganger thing. Because it's you. 

"Vic's right, Ellie. He seems really happy to be around you. I think it makes him feel human or something." Bonnie assures her friend.

"Maybe." Elena whispers unconvinced.  
_________

Later that night, the whole gang is sitting at a picnic table and lighting their candles, when Stefan walks up to them.

"Hey." Stefan says to the group with a small nod while looking at Elena who turn around at his voice.

Afrer the group greets him, Elena says "Hey."  
With a smile while gesturing her head to walk with her. 

"So-" Elena interrupts Stefan.

"Is this goodbye? Because if it is, I understand. I mean, it's not everyday a girl tells you she knows the future and your past. I will still help you and Damon with whatever you need." 

"El, stop." Stefan stops Elena's rambling with a smile.

"This isn't goodbye. I would still like to know more, but this doesn't change anything. I like you. And your friends." 

"So, you still want to be friends?" When he nods she continues.  
"Wow! I was not expecting that. I was sure you would ghost.

"Ghost?" Stefan asks confused.

Elena smiles, like she always does when someone catches her using future slang.

"It means, disappearing. It doesn't matter. You're not gonna disappear. Do you want to go to grab some dinner with us? Of the human variety." Elena teases him.

"Sure." Stefan answers with a snort and a smile.  
________

Later that night, the group was integrating Stefan while sitting in booth at The Grill.

"So Stefan, what's it's like being a vampire?" Tyler asks bluntly.

"Umm... alright. I guess? I mean, it's different for everyone." Stefan says while looking over at Elena.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything that wasn't important. They only know about Kat. Nothing personal." Elena whispers to Stefan while he smiles relieved.

"You don't have to tell anyone anything. It's your business, they won't push." She assures him.

"Thank you." He whispers back sincerely.

"What's it like to be compelled?" Caroline asks.

"Uh, weird. You are completely aware unless compelled not to be. If someone compels you to not be scared, you still know you should be, your just not." Stefan tells her, speaking from experience.

"What's it like to drink blood?" Jeremy asks.

Stefan clears his throat.

"Sorry, are we making you uncomfortable? We can stop." Vicki tells him.

"No its just, I never met anyone, especially a whole group, who wasn't supernatural be so... open?" Stefan says more like a question.

"Well, El told us about everything a few months ago. I guess we just got used to it." Matt says.

"Also me and Tyler are supernatural." Bonnie tells him not going into specifics.

"And you guys trust me? To not like... eat you?" Stefan asks confused.

They all bust out laughing.

"Yes Stefan, we trust you to not eat us. And not just because of the whole bambi thing. El trust you. That's all we need to know. She very protective and if she thought you would ever hurt us, you would already be dead." Jeremy tells him.

Stefan breathes out, not sure why he feels so relieved they trust him.

"So back to the questions. What's it like to no longer be held back by the law or human morals?" Caroline asks not realizing how heavy that was.

"Jesus." Elena mutters as Stefan just looked stunned.

"Um... uh, well... I, it can... uh-"

Elena interrupts Stefan's stuttering.

"You know what? Let's save the more philosophical questions for another time."

The group laughs unaware they're being watched.

Across the restaurant Damon listens in angry and intrigued. Angry that his brother seems so happy and intrigued by the little group who seem to put all their faith in the Katherine lookalike.

Damon is dragged out of thoughts when he over hears a two girls talking.

"God, would you look at that? Less than a week and the new kid is already following Elena around like a lost puppy. Is it not enough to have the team captain and the quarterback?" One of the girls seethes looking at Elena.

"I don't know, she seems nice. Grace told me that one time in the locker rooms after cheer practice the other girls stole her clothes during her shower and when they laughed at her while she cried, Elena came in, looked between them, walked up to the girl who took her clothes and punched her right in the face. And while the girl was on the ground holding her broken nose, she walked to her locker, pulled out some clothes, handed them to her, winked, and left. That's so cool!" The other girl defended Elena to her friend.

"Whatever, she thinks she so mysterious and cool. I was there, her nose was not even broken. You know she's never talks to anyone outside of her friend group. That's weird. And who spends that much time with their little brother." The girl was going to continue when she caught sight of Damon.

She blushed as Damon tipped his drink to her. She smiled her best flirty smile and he smirked.  
_________

Stefan walks Elena home while they watch the comet above them.

"Can I ask you a question?" Stefan asks her hesitantly.

"Of course. What's up?" She replies.

"Why do you want to help me and my brother? Why do you care?"

Elena smiles a small smile and responds.

"I guess I always had a soft spot for the infamous Salvatore brothers. When I saw your past's and future's I couldn't help but feel bad. You guys were so close before Kat got in between you."

"Oh, so you pity us." Stefan says jokingly.

"You know, that always catches me off guard. In the timeline I saw, you were always so serious and broody. But this time, you keep making jokes and playing around. I like it." Elena tells him with a smile.

"You kinda make me feel like I do around Lexi. You know Lexi, right?" When Elena nods Stefan continues.

"Can you tell me somthing else about the other timeline? Were we friends?" 

"Um, you and OG Elena had an epic romance. Before you showed up Elena was depressed and putting on a smile because she thought it would be easier on everyone else. When she met you, her smile was genuine for the first time in months. She fell madly in love with you." Elena tells him, recalling her knowledge that always manages to stay at the front of her mind.

"Why do you call her "OG Elena?" Do you really not think of her as you?"

"She's not me, Stefan. We're too different. I'm different." Elena says looking down.

I'm different. Stefan thinks as he looks at her. He knows what she's not saying. She's different. A different Elena. An Elena who's most genuine smile goes to her little brother. An Elena who isn't depressed and just putting on brave face. An Elena who won't fall madly in love with him.

Stefan should feel worse about that. He should be heartbroken. The girl that he saved, watched, and stayed in the town he died in for, just told him she won't ever have feeling for him. But he's not. 

Stefan feels a little like he just missed out on something great, but his worlds not ending. 

I'm different. 

The Stefan from a few days ago who was absolutely entranced by the mysterious girl who just happened to look like his first epic love. He would be shattered that this wonderful girl who put a sign in her window, that is just now making sense, eliminated all possibility of a relationship with him. He'd be angry that he let himself fall for someone just to lose them.

But he's not. I'm different. He thinks. And he his. He's not the guy who felt the need to be mysterious and closed off to intrigue her. He's not the guy who kept fighting himself about staying, about putting her in danger. He's not the guy who wants to be dragged by the pull he feels towards her.

He's different.

He's different with her. She doesn't make him feel like Katherine did. Like your biggest fear is falling but if she's at the bottom you would gladly jump with a running start. And she doesn't make him feel like Lexi either, it's closer but not exactly. With Lexi he wants to be better. She pushes him to be better while having the most fun of his life. But with Ellie, it's like he doesn't have to be anyone else. Doesn't have to hide or pretend that's he's not a monster. Because with her he doesn't feel like one. With her, he feels like no matter what he does she will always support him. 

It should freak him out that he is relying on someone he just met so much, but it doesn't. Because he knows, with every part of him, she will be there for him. And he's okay with that, while a Stefan from a few days ago would be freaking out. 

Shes different. And that's okay, because he's different too.


	17. Friday Night Bites

After Bonnie and Elena get out of Bonnie's car they walk towards the school.

"So, what happened last night? Are you and Stefan good?" Bonnie asks Elena.

"Yeah, we're great, actually. We talked about the other timeline." Elena replies.

"Oh, did you tell him how you had an epic romance then fell in love with his brother." Bonnie says laughing a little.

"Yes to the romance, no to the brother. We didn't really get into it. I didn't even get to tell him about the pull thing."

"I'm glad, Ellie. You seem happy around him. Speak of the saint." Bonnie says as Stefan walks up to them.

"Hello Ellie, Bonnie." Stefan greets with a nod.

"Hey, Stefan." Bonnie and Elena reply.

"It's nice to see you Stefan, but I gotta go find Caroline. See you guys later." Bonnie says politely backing away.

"Bye, Bon Bon." Elena says as Stefan smiles at her.

"I still cannot believe your friends are so okay with me being a vampire." Stefan says whispering the last part.

"Well, my friends are very understanding people, Steffy. Which is why you should get to know them. You free tonight?"

"Yes." Stefan answers.

"Good. Tonight. My place." Elena demands.

"Okay, that could be fun." Stefan smiles.

"One condition though. You have to teach me to make Italian. And don't deny you can. I know everything." Elena teases him.

"Sure, what time?" Stefan laughs.

"Whenever you want. I'll go grocery shopping after school." Elena says getting excited.

Stefan was about to respond when he hears Tyler shout.

"Yo, Stefan." 

Stefan turns around and catches the ball as Matt and Tyler run up to them.

"That was so awsome!" Matt exclaims.

"For real, you should join the team. Having a vampire would be so cool." Tyler says as Matt nods along.

"We would really suck less. Or more, I guess. Cause... you know... you're a vampire." Matt tries to joke.

"Yes Matty, I think he gets it." Elena says as they laugh.

"But really, you should. I think it would be fun and I could cheer for you guys."

"I'll think about it." Stefan says as they all walk through the halls.  
______

In class, walking to her seat Elena sees Bonnie doodling numbers in her notebook and mutters

"Uh-oh."

Matt and Elena are ignoring Tanner as they whisper to Stefan.

"Come on, you would be great. Could be fun." Matt says.

"Yeah, Stef this is your first time to finally enjoy highschool without trying to hide your secret. Live a little." Elena tries to convince him.

"Miss Gilbert?" Tanner asks Elena.

"Hmm?" Elena replies absentmindedly.

"Pearl Harbor?"

"Tanner, why do you do this to yourself?" Elena says faking concern while the class laughs.

"December 7, 1941." Stefan supplies for her with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert." Tanner jokes and the class reluctantly laughs.

"Anytime."

"Very well. The fall of the Berlin wall." 

"1989. I'm good with dates, sir."

"Are you? How good? Keep it to the year. Civil Rights Act." Tanner challenges Stefan.

"1964."

"John F. Kennedy assassination."

"1963."

"Martin Luther King."

"'68."

"Lincoln."

"1865."

"Roe vs. Wade."

"1973."

"Brown vs. Board."

"1954."

"The battle of Gettysburg."

"1863."

"Korean war."

"1950 to 1953."

"Ha! It ended in '52." Tanner shouts smugly.

"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53."

"Look it up, somebody. Quickly." Tanner demands impatiently.

"It was 19...53." A random student says as the class cheers.

Elena mouths "Show off." To Stefan as he smile at her.  
________

As the group sits outside having lunch they try to convince Stefan to join the team.

"Oh my God! Yes! You would be so great! This will be so much fun!" Caroline shouts excitedly when Matt tells the group he's trying to convince him.

"See, I told you, everyone thinks you would have fun." Elena nudges Stefan.

"Yeah man, and you could get to know us better." Tyler tries to appeal to his sainthood.

"What are we talking about?" Jeremy asks as he walks up to the picnic table.

"There's my baby brother!" Elena shouts as she runs to him and hugs him.

The group smiles at Jeremy lifting her up.

"We're trying to convince Stefan to join the football team." Vicki says.

"Oh, that could be fun. If you don't want to play you can sit on the bleachers with me and Vic." Jeremy tells him.

"Thanks." Stefan nods at Jeremy.

"Well I think he should enjoy this time. I also think he should graduate and go to college with us, but whatever." Elena mumbles the last part as they laughs at Elena's plan making.

"Okay, I'll do it. But isn't Tanner the coach? He's not exactly my biggest fan." Stefan tells them.

"Oh, Don't worry, Ty's the captain. He'll back you. Right Ty?" Bonnie asks Tyler.

"Of course." Tyler smiles at Stefan.

"Now that, that's settled. Should we let Tanner die? Yes or no?" Elena says casually as the group stays silent.

"I feel like the fact that none of us said no immediately, makes us terrible people." Matt says.

They all shrug.

"How do you know that's going to happen, El? Did it happen in the OG timeline?" Bonnie asks.

"Yes and you, actually. I thought It wouldn't happen because I changed some stuff but your doodles of numbers, shows it might still happen." Elena tells them.

"Oh! That's why I'm so obsessed with those numbers." Bonnie realizes.

"We should just let whatever happens happen. So what are we doing tonight? I got the night off." Vicki tells them.

"Dinner. Our place. Stefan's gonna teach me to make real Italian." Elena says motioning between her and Jeremy.

"Yum. Can't wait." Caroline says.  
_______

At cheer practice Caroline is seething.

"How dare she? She knows what time practice is. If she dosen't show up in the next 10 minutes she is off the squad."

"Who, Care Bear?" Elena asks her cautiously.

"Rachel! The red hed. She has been hounding me non-stop about different drills and placement since the season started and now she doesn't even show. What the hell?!" Caroline freaks as a blue Camaro pulls up with a red head and Damon Salvatore inside.

"Holy hell." Bonnie mutters checking Damon out.

The red head gets out of the car and walks over to Caroline.

"I'm so sorry I was late Caroline. I was busy." She says walking past them.

"Who is that?" Caroline asks also checking him out.

"Damon Salvatore." Elena says through gritted teeth walking over to him.

"Hello there El-" Elena interrupts his greeting.

"I wasn't aware you have a death wish Damon. I can help you out with that.   
If you did what I think you did, I will show you things worse than death." Elena says clenching her fists while glaring at him.

"Woah, hold on there, El." 

"Did I say you could speak?" Elena asks contemplating prying the ring off his cold dead hand.

"I only fed on her." Damon defends.

"Prove it." Elena says not calming down.

"Look, Ellie. I can promise you, I'm not that kind of monster." Damon says with a genuine look on his face.

Elena looks into his eyes.

"Give me your word Damon. And just know that if I find out you're lying to me, your end will be spectacular." Elena threatens borrowing lines from her favorite original.

"I give you my word, Elena." Damon says looking into her eyes.

"Fine, I believe you. This time. But, leave her alone Damon, you don't need a spy." 

"She's not a spy." Damon interrupts.

Elena glares at him and he hold his hands up.

"You don't need a spy because me, Stef, and my friends are having dinner at my place tonight and your invited, sans the cheerleader." She tells him emphasis on Stefan's name.

Damon looks surprised at the invitation, but agrees.

When Damon drives away and Elena walks back to her friends they start questioning her.

"That's Damon?" Elena nods at Bonnie question.

"Wow. I thought Stefan was hot, but that man is walking sex." Caroline says flustered.

"I couldn't agree more. But please be careful. His humanity's not fully on and he's still totally obsessed with Kitty Kat. You can look just don't touch." Elena tells them.

When cheer practice is over the girls walk over to the football field where Jeremy and Vicki are seated on the bleachers.

They started cheering for their boys.  
______

Stefan walks into his room to see Damon sitting down reading his journal.

"How were tryouts? Did you make the team?" Damon taunts.

"Very Emerson, the way you reveal your soul with so many-" Stefan snatches his journal out of his brothers hands.

"Adjectives."

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asks Damon.

"I've come to apologize. I've been doing some thinking, some soul searching, and...I want us to start over. We need to put the past behind us. You're my little brother, and if you want to live a normal, happy human life, then I want that for you. Maybe I can do it, too. That I can learn to be a non-living living person. Maybe there's hope for both of us." Damon tries to keep a straight face but breaks and laughs in Stefan's face.

"You know, it doesn't have to be this way, Damon." Stefan tries to reason.

"Of course it doesn't. I saw Ellie today, BTW. That means "by the way." She was at cheerleading practice. She looked so perky in her little short shorts." Stefan steps closer to Damon.

"Simmer down, she approached me. She threatened slash invited me to dinner tonight. Feisty one, that girl. Speaking of, I gotta go get ready. Wanna make a good first impression. See you tonight, brother." Damon says with a smirk.  
_________

In Elena's kitchen Stefan is trying to teach Elena how to make tomato sauce while her friends stand around the island making fun of her inability to pay attention.

"El, it's not that hard. Just put the onion in the pot." Tyler says while trying not to laugh.

"The whole onion? That's doesn't seem right." Elena mutters.

They all laugh while Stefan tries his hardest to not kick her out of the kitchen.

"No, Ellie. Not the whole onion. He said dice it." Caroline says.

"Right." Elena sighs "How do you dice an onion?"

"That's it. Give me the knife." Stefan says while taking the knife out of her hand and setting it down.

"Now, sit here. Do. Not. Touch. Anything." Stefan stresses while holding her hands and leading her to a kitchen stool.

They all laugh as Elena makes faces to the back or his head.

"Where'd you learn to cook like this Stefan?" Bonnie asks him.

"Italy. I spent some time there with Lexi for a little while." Stefan tells them.

"Lexi? That's your best friend right?" Jeremy asks.

"Yeah we've known each other since 1864." Stefan says with a faraway look.

"Wow. That's crazy. I can't imagine knowing someone that long and still liking them." Vicki says.

"Well you better, if I find a way to make us all immortal you gonna know me that long." Elena mutters and only Stefan hears her clearly.

"What?" Stefan asks.

"Nothing." Elena says sending him a smirk.

"Don't mind her. She's always muttering "immortal" "Malachai" "squirrel rebellion" she's crazy is what I'm trying to say." Matt says as they all laugh.

"What's Lexi like? She must be pretty amazing if you still want to be around after all this time." Caroline asks Stefan as he smiles at the thought of her.

"She's the best friend I've ever had. Throughout the years whenever I need her she was there as soon as possible." Stefan was interrupted my the door bell.

"Ooh, that must be Damon." Elena says while walking to the door, not noticing Stefan's jaw clench at his brother's name.

"Hello there, Ocean Eyes." Elena says with a smile after opening the door.

"Hello, Ellie. I brought dessert." Damon says with a smirk while holding up a pie.

"Classy. Come on in" Elena says stepping aside, letting him in.

"You really invited me in? I can't decide if that's brave or stupid." Damon says while looking around.

"Can't it be both?" Elena says teasingly.

"Hmm, maybe. You have a beautiful home." Damon says a little sincerely.

"Thank you, I had nothing to do with it. Come on, everyone's in the kitchen. Stefan's making Italian."

After walking in the kitchen everyone greets Damon while he looks a bit surprised.

"Damon these are my friends, Caroline, Tyler, Matt, Bonnie, Vicki, and my adorable baby brother Jeremy." Elena introduces them.

"Guys, this is Damon salvatore, eternal stud and Stefan's big bro." 

"Damon" Stefan says tightly.

"Uh uh, none of that. Right now we are just friends hanging out, none of which have eternal misery pacts. Okay?" Elena tells while Stefan nods his head.

"Okay. Damon, have a seat. Food almost done." Stefan turns back to the stove.

"Don't mind if I do, Stef." Damon says sitting down.

"So Damon, did you hear? Stefan joined the football team." Caroline says not grasping how much Damon despises Stefan.

"Is that so? Well that's great. You know I always tell him he should engage more. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it." Damon says obviously trying to mess with Stefan.

"Damon, cut the shit." Elena says shortly.

"I don't-" Elena interrupts him.

"Take a night off, alright. Please. Just relax, no one here cares about your diabolical plans." Damon surrenders his hands.

"Anyway, dick move with the crow, Damon." Bonnie says seriously while looking him in the eye.

Bonnie puts her hand on her heart dramatically.

"Do you know how many bird related accidents happen in this town?" She finishes jokingly while everyone laughs.

"My apologies, won't happen again." Damon says with a genuine smile.

"So, we don't really care what you do. But could you not kill any football players. We suck enough as it is." Tyler says to Damon seriously as they all laugh.

"Speaking of Damon's homicidal tendencies, have you thought about what you're going to say to Enzo?" Elena asks while everyone but the vampires and Jeremy look confused.

"I have. I'm gonna hide It from him. It can't be that hard, it happen so long ago." Damon shrugs.

"Wait, who's Enzo?" Matt asks while the rest nod their heads.

"Damon's best friend." Jeremy tells them while Damon looks at him confused.

"Remy knows everything I do." Elena whispers so only the salvatores can hear.

"He's currently locked up being experimented on slash tortured." Elena tells them.

"That's horrible, we have to help him!" Caroline exclaims while everyone smiles at her good nature.

"We will, I have a plan." When they all keep looking at her she explains further.

"He's locked up by a group called Augustine at Whitmore college. They fancy themselves revolutionaries. They genuinely think they're helping people. My dad used to be apart of it." Elena says looking over at Jermey.

When she told him about their father's extracurricular activities, he was very upset. But he looks fine hearing it now. 

"So I called the head researcher Dr. Maxfield, and told him that i found some of my dad's research and was interested in "helping people" just like my dad, one day.  
We made an appointment to meet and discuss all they do.  
Stef and Day are gonna come with me, get invited in and then we are gonna sneak back in to save little Enzo." Elena finishes.

"Can I come?" Jeremy asks.

"No, too dangerous. Enzo starving, he hasn't drank from the vain in forever." Elena tells him sternly.

"What about you?" Vicki asks concerned.

"Stefan can protect me, Damon will be preoccupied crying with his bestie. Plus, I can fight." Elena says while Damon rolls his eyes.

"Rem, I don't like controlling or telling you what to do, but please don't push this." Elena says quietly to her brother while he nods.

"And Damon, seriously? Don't lie to him. Secrets always come out and it will hurt more if he forgives you first them finds out. Let him know everything, then let him forgive you. It might take sometime, but I promise you, you are the most important person to him." Elena tells him.

"I'll think about it." Damon says in a noncommittal tone.

"Wait, what do you have to apologize for?" Bonnie asks.

"I may have...um-" Elena interrupts him.

"He killed the love of Enzo's life." She states bluntly.

"Huh, well that's not great." Tyler says.

"Well, when you rescue him. We will throw him a party and make him feel at home." Caroline says.

"That's really nice of you, Caroline." Stefan tells her.

"She's just wants to throw a party." Vicki says with a laugh as Caroline shrugs.

"But for real. We will be there for him." Bonnie says while everyone agrees.

Damon looked grateful at the teens then to Stefan who shrugged and smiled looking at Elena.


	18. Friday Night Bites pt.2

When Stefan, Matt, and Tyler walk up to Elena in their uniforms Elena wolf whistles and says.

"Looking mighty fine there, boys. Especially you, Salvatore." Elena winks and Stefan looks down with a smile.

Matt and Tyler both throw an arm over her shoulder.

"Why thank you, little lady." Tyler says in a southern accent.

"You look beautiful, Lena." Matt says sweetly.

"I always look beautiful, but thank you, Matty." Elena smiles at him.

"You ready for your first game?" Elena asks Stefan.

"You know, weirdly I'm kinda nervous." Stefan says as they laugh.

"Dude, you're like 100. Haven't you played thousands of times?" Tyler asks.

"I know, I know." Stefan nods.

"Whatever man, you'll do great. Just try not to hurt anyone." Matt says gently.

"I'm gonna go find the girls before Care sends out a search party. Love you guys, see you in a little bit." Elena says running away after kissing them on the cheek.  
________

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait. Let's be honest here. In the past, we used to let other teams come into our town and roll right over us!" Tanner shouts into a mic while everyone boos.

"But that is about to change." Everyone cheers. 

"We've got some great new talent tonight starting on the offense, and I'm gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these. Let's give it up for Stefan Salvatore!" Everyone cheers as Matt and Tyler laugh and pat him on the back.  
________

Elena's standing by her car, waiting for Damon to show up, when he appears behind her.

"Hello, Ocean Eyes." Elena says before turning around.

"Ellie. How'd you know it was me?" He asks teasingly.

"I know everything." Elena jokes.

"I also know what might happen tonight." Elena says getting more serious.

"And what might that be?" Damon says pretending to not be interested.

"It doesn't matter. Just know, whatever happens, none of us will hold it against you." She's tells him walking away as he grabs her arm.

"Why are you helping me, Elena?" Damon asks seriously.

"One, don't call me Elena, it's weird. Two, because I care what happens, Damon." Elena says as Damon scrunches his nose hearing her say his name instead of a nickname.

"I have to get back to the girls. Have a good night, Ocean Eyes." Elena corrects herself noticing the face when she said his name.

"Night, El." Elena hears walking away.  
______

Walking towards the locker rooms Matt and Tyler stop infront of Stefan.

"Hey man, we just wanted to say that we're happy you're playing. And we're glad we became you're friend." Matt says.

Noticing Stefan confused face Tyler starts.

"El may have dropped some not so subtle threats if we didn't make you feel welcome around us." Tyler admits.

Stefan laughs and they join.

"Sounds like El. But you don't have to. I do feel welcome and I'm happy to be on the team." Stefan says genuinely.

"She seems happier, you know. She's been doing surprisingly well since her parents died, but when you showed up she's been more herself." Tyler tells him as he smiles.

"El's great, she makes me feel like I can be myself." Stefan trails off embarrassed he shared so much as they laugh.

"It's okay, Stefan. El does that. We'll meet you inside, alright?" Matt says as Stefan nods.

Stefan starts to walk towards the building when he hears clapping.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins a team, makes some friends. It's all so, "rah, rah, go team, yeah!" Damon mocks.

"Not tonight. I'm done with you." Stefan says waking away.

"No, come on. I mean it. I'm happy you finally made some friends. It's too bad they're human. We all know how you get." Damon says with fake sigh.

"What are you-"

"Or me, for that matter. What are you gonna do if I just... snap?" Damon asks while snapping his fingers.

"No. You're not gonna hurt them, Damon." Stefan says sternly.

"No?" Damon asks surprised.

"Because, there is a part of you that likes them. Maybe even cares. I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be."

"Who's pretending." Damon deflects.

"Then kill me."

"Well, I'm...I'm tempted."

"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Katherine left. And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity." Stefan tries to appeal to his humanity.

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Tanner comes in to view and yells.

"If that's my humanity...then what's this?" Damon asks speeding over to Tanner and ripping his throat out.

"No!" Stefan yells.

"Anyone, anytime, any place." Damon says with blood on his face.  
_______

Bonnie gets a weird feeling and grabs Caroline and Elena's arms. 

"Bonnie! What are you doing?" Caroline ask while being dragged along.

"Honey bee, what's wrong?" Elena asks but Bonnie can't seem to hear her.

Bonnie stops and looks around realizing where she's at. 

"Oh my god." Bonnie whispers when she sees tanners body.

"Holy crap!" Caroline exclaims.

"Guys, everything's fine. Just don't look." Elena says to them as they bury their faces in her hair.

"Was this Damon?" Bonnie asks quietly.

"Yeah." Elena says gently.

"Let's go get help." Elena says leading then away.  
_______

"El, I'm so sorry. I taunted him. I thought I could make him see he still has his humanity." Stefan apologized while Elena comforts him.

"No, Stef it's not your fault. He's not your responsibility. Just, please don't give up on him. He still needs you. Okay?" Elena begs.

"Okay." Stefan nods.  
______

Elena is sitting up in bed waiting to see if Damon shows up this time when he appears I front of her.

"I figured you know I'd come. Um... look-" Elena cuts him off.

"It's okay." Elena pats the bed and he sits down next to her.

"Tell me about katherine." Elena changes the subject and he looks surprised.

"I thought you knew everything." Damon teases quietly.

"I know big stuff, but I never saw when or how you fell for her." 

"Well, when I first saw her I thought she was the most beautiful girl I ever saw."

"Aw, thanks." Elena teases and he snorts and shakes his head.

"But I don't think I fell for her until I saw she wasn't what she looked like. Everyone assumed, because of her big doe eyes and innocent smile that she was a sweet girl. But I could see beneath it, it was all an act. Of course at first I didn't know how big an act."

As Damon continues telling her stories she never heard about the infamous Katherine Pierce, Elena could barely stay awake.

"I can't bring myself to believe she left. She has to be in the tomb. Because if she left I spent the last 145 years waiting for a girl who doesn't love me and I don't think I can handle that." Damon trails off quietly.

"I promise we will open the tomb, but in the the mean time, please don't push Stefan away. I know you hate him for making you turn, but he was only 17 and he didn't want to lose his big brother. He still loves you. I promise." Elena mumbles to a stunned Damon before falling asleep.

"Goodnight, Ellie." Damon whispers as he traces her cheek with his thumb.

"Night, Day." Elena snuggles into his chest.


	19. Three Ways and Milkshakes

Stefan shoots up in his bed breathing heavy after having a nightmare about Damon killing Elena.

"Bad dream? Do you know how easy it was to get into your head just now? You really need some human blood. It might even the playing field. Football reference. Too soon?" Damon asks.

Stefan runs across the room, grabs a knife, and throws it at his brother.

Damon doesn't even flinch.

"Alright, I deserved that. But I just wanted to let you know, they caught the culprit. The animal responsible for killing coach tanner and all those people." 

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asks confused.

"It was a mountain lion. Really big one. It attacked a hunter this morning. It's all over the news "Deadly beast captured. All's well in Mystic Falls." Damon finishes mockingly.

Stefan stare blankly at his brother.

"Look, I'm sorry. See, I'm covering my tracks like a good little vampire. You proud?" Damon asks still being a dick.

"El's gonna be mad. She told you "no killing." Stefan says smugly.

"Somthing tells me she'll understand." Damon says with a smirk remembering that night while walking over to a confused Stefan.

Damon stabs his brother in the stomach and Stefan falls to his knees with a grunt.

"This is John Varvatos, dude. Dick move." Damon walks out the door.  
________

"Scum ball. Scum bucket." Jenna yells at Logan Fell through the TV.

"Ooh, who are we insulting?" Elena asks looking around getting excited.

"Him." Jenna says politely towards the TV.

"Right, Logan Fell. You know he used to babysit Care Bear?" Elena says.

"Makes sense. Founding families like to stick together."

"Ah yes, keep it in the founding family." Elena jokes.

Jenna giggles and asks

"What are you doing with that?" She gestures to the box Elena's going through.

"Mom told Mrs. Lookwood she would loan these to the founders council for their heritage display."

Jeremy walks into the room and Elena continues.

"But they only want this stuff for this." Elena holds up the pocket watch.

"Is that dad's watch?" Jeremy asks.

"Yes, it's actually magic, courtesy of Bonnie's ancestor. The compass points to vampires. The council rightfully suspects a vampire's been killing people."

"What are you gonna do with it?" Jenna asks.

"For now, store it in my storage unit. But when this all blows over I'm gonna give it to Rem. It's his, as he is the first born male." Jeremy sends a grateful smile to Elena.

The doorbell rings and on the way to the door Elena kisses her brothers cheek while jenna looks on with a smile.

Elena opens the door and Stefan greets her.

"Hi." Elena smiles and grabs his hand dragging him upstairs.

"Hi." Elena says after laying next to him on her bed.

"So, do you look as great in a suit as I remember?" Elena asks as he laughs.

"Depends. How did I look when you saw me?" Stefan fake flirts with her and she laughs and shoves his shoulder.

"Fantastic, of course. Will you be my escort to the Founder's Party?" 

"They still do that?" Stefan asks.

"Yep, it's been a while for you, hasn't it? So, you coming?"

"I'd be honored to accompany you, Miss Gilbert." 

"Nerd. Let's hope Damon has the same response." Elena says cheekily.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asks suspiciously.

"It's important, handsome. Don't judge."

When Stefan just raises an eyebrow she huffs and continues.

"Look, he's gonna be there anyway at least this way he won't have to compel some poor blonde blood bag." Elena says.

"Do we have to?" Stefan whines as she laughs.

"Yes we have to. Isn't this your life mission, Saint Stefan? Save all the innocents to compensate for the guilt." Elena teases.

"Ugh, fine." Stefan groans and rolls over on her while she giggles.  
________

Elena is sitting upside down on the couch with her feet up in the air, while she dials a number on her phone.

"You've reached Damon Salvatore." Damon answers and Elena rolls her eyes at his flirty tone.

"Hey, Ocean Eyes."

"Ellie? How'd you get this number?" Damon asks confused.

"I got it off your phone. Duh." Elena responds.

"When did you have my phone?" Damon asks sound more annoyed than angry.

"I swiped it off you at the dinner thing." Elena says like its obvious 

"You swiped it off me? What are you a pickpocket or something?" Damon mocks.

"Yes."

"What?" Damon asks stunned

"Yes. I'm a pickpocket." 

"What? How? When?" Damon rushes out questions.

"We been though this, Dames. I'm mysterious and awesome. Stop asking so many questions. Just go with it."

"Fine. Why is it that you called?"

"Do you want to be my date for the Founder's Party?"

"I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. Because, I'm pretty sure I heard you asking my to be your date." Damon says.

"I would tell you not be a dick, but that's like asking Stefan not to brood. I told you I would help you. This is me helping. Are you gonna come or not?" Elena starts getting annoyed.

"Yes. I would be honored." Damon replies sincerely.

"Ha, that's exactly what Stefan said."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you. Me, you, and Stefan. We're gonna three-way this bitch. Thanks. Bye." Elena hangs up as she hears him call her name.  
________

Stefan is polishing his shoes when Damon walks into his room.

"Do they still wear ties at this thing?"

"It's not like you ever actually were ties." Stefan rolls his eyes.

"Why do you even want to go? Me and El could get the talisman for you." Stefan tries to convince his brother to stay home.

"I don't know. I think it's only fitting. We were at the very first one, remember?"

"I think it's best we don't draw attention to ourselves. The council knows it's a vampire that's been killing people. What, suddenly two brothers with the same name as their ancestors show up?" Stefan says.

"So, you should stay here. I'll see to it Ellie has a good time." Damon tells him.

"I don't even know why El wants us both to go with her." Stefan mutters.

"I like it. At least she's honest about wanting us both." Damon taunts and Stefan shakes his head.

"Don't worry, Stefan. I got katherine and I don't think Ellie's into you." Damon says.

"You sure about that?" Stefan asks.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure, I mean if she was into you she wouldn't have invited me too." Damon says like its obvious and Stefan rolls his eyes.

"No. That you have Katherine. Do you think El's lying or something?" Stefan asks.

"Ellie's lovey, but I'm not putting all my eggs in one crazy ass basket." Damon says pouring two drinks.

Stefan picks one up and they have a drink together without realizing it.  
________

Elena walks down the stairs to two awaiting Salvatores.

"Tell me how good I look." Elena says with a twirl when she reaches the bottom.

"You look breathtaking, El." Stefan says when he gains the ability to speak again.

"For once, I agree with my brother." Damon tells her.

"Okay, even though I hate rules, I do have one for tonight." Elena tells them.

"As amazing as I look, neither of you are allowed to fall in love with me." Elena says with a smirk.

"That's a little vain, Ellie." Damon looks at her mock shamefully shaking his head.

"Of course I'm vain, I'm a doppelganger. We're notoriously hot." Elena says.

"Wow, look at you Stefan. Yep, just as delicious as I remember." Elena flirts while Stefan smiles and looks down.

"Ugh, that's over. Let's go." Damon groans and holds out his arm.  
________

Standing with a Salvatore on each arm Elena greets Mrs. Lockwood.

"Good evening Mrs. Lockwood. Everything looks great, my mom would be proud." Elena says making Carol light up.

"Thank you so much, Elena. Who are these handsome gentlemen." Carol ask eyeing Damon hungrily.

"Oh my apologies, this is Stefan and Damon Salvatore, my dates."

Carol sighs

"Of course they are, Elena." She says with a shake of the head 

"Come on in." 

"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood. It's a pleasure to meet you." Damon flirts while Stefan waves a little.

"Oh, you can call me Carol." She blushes.

"And Carol, I'm so sorry about the watch. I checked and couldn't find it anywhere." Elena lies effortlessly.

"That's okay, sweetie. Have fun, Elena." Carol says walking away.

Elena drags the boys through the party looking for her friends.

As they walk up, Caroline hands them all a glass of champagne and says

"Ellie and the Salvatore brother. What, Is this a threesome now?" Caroline teases while the group of friends laugh.

Elena looks then both over and says.

"Now, there's an idea." Stefan chokes on his champagne while Damon smirks.

"The council's gonna meet tonight right?" Matt asks lowering his voice.

"Yep, they want the Gilbert watch. Too bad I'm not gonna give it to them." Elena laughs

"The council is really bad at cover stories. What kind of mountain lion would get so close to a football field full of cheering people? They couldn't come up with something more creative?" Jeremy says as they nod in agreement.

"I know right." Bonnie laughs.

"You really did is a solid there, Damon. Tanner was a dick, may he rest in peace." Tyler raises his champagne in fake cheers while they all nod and thank him.

"Wait, you guys know I killed the coach?" Damon asks looking around.

"No, it was Saint Stefan. Of course, we know. El always warns us of we could be in danger." Jermey says.

"And you're cool with it?" Damon asks confused.

"We don't condone senseless killing, but El has kinda been preparing us for the last 10 years." Caroline says and they all nod.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, it's possible Ellie has made us all more apathetic." Vicki says and they shrug.

"You're a weird bunch." Damon states as they all laugh.

"Come on." Elena pulls the brothers to the heritage display.

Elena is looking at her parents wedding rings when Stefan asks.

"Your parents?" She nods.

"Yeah, the only thing I would enjoy about marriage, the jewelry." Elena tries to joke.

Stefan laughs a little and grabs her hand for comfort, she smiles and puts her head in his shoulder while walking over to Damon.

"The founding families of Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural Founder's Council Celebration." Elena reads while looking at the registry.

"Jesus. Sometimes I forgot how ancient you guys are." She says looking them over.

"And yet, I still look this good." Damon says smugly.

"Mmm, yes you do. Anyways, Stef come dance with me." Elena says.

"Oh, I don't really dance." Stefan backs away from her.

"No. Old, broody Stefan didn't dance. New, playful and more carefree Stefan does." Elena says while pulling him to the dance floor.

They swaying to the music when Elena says

"See, is this so bad?"

"No, it's not so bad." Stefan says then spins her as she laughs.

Damon is watching from the other side of the room and smiles a little at his brothers carefree attitude.

Elena sees Damon slip upstairs and when the song ends she follows him up.

"There you are. Stand here and tell me if anyone comes." Damon places her in front of the door.

"Yes Ocean Eyes, I'm well aware of the many responsibilities of a look out." Elena says sarcastically.

Damon grabs a box and opens a secret compartment.

"It's not here." Damon says angrily.

"I know. I've had it for years." Elena says with a smirk.

"If you have it, why did you make us come tonight?" Damon says turning his anger in her.

"I wanted to dance." Elena defends with a shrug.

"I also thought it would be good for you and Stef to, you know, bond or whatever." Elena mumbles embarrassed.

"So, you parent trapped us." Damon smiles when she snorts.

"Oh, my god Damon, you are my actual soul mate. This plan is officially titled in my binder as "operation parent trap" Elena says through a laugh.

"Come on, let's go dance." Damon says grabbing her hand and shaking his head when she squeals.

When they get downstairs Elena runs towards the sound booth and plugs in her iPod. When "Come on Eileen" starts playing, Elena drags Jeremy, Caroline, Bonnie, Vicki, Tyler, Matt, and the Salvatores out to the dance floor.

Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler start spinning around together while the others clap to the beat around them.

Stefan starts laughing as Elena runs up to him, grabs his hand, and twirls him. When she stops she pulls him over to Damon who's smiling fondly at her.

Stefan doesn't remember having this much fun with Damon since they were human and looking down at the beautiful girl singing and dancing terribly to the music he knows it's all because of her.

Later, as "Uptown Girl" ends Elena stops dancing and pull Stefan and Damon with her to the Kitchen.

"That was so much fun!" Elena yells still high off the music.

"Yeah, it was." Stefan nods his head looking at her.

"It was, Ellie. But now that we danced are you gonna give my the crystal?" Damon asks as Elena puts a hand on her heart dramatically.

"Was none it real." Elena whispers.

"I might of enjoyed myself a little." Damon plays along.

"Well there's no reason for this night to end." Elena says as they look at her suspiciously.

"Oh, come on. Live a little." She says and they nod.  
________

"This is where you wanted to come?" Damon asks incredulous looking at the 50's style dinner.

"Yes, Ocean Eyes. They have the best milkshakes in the world. And Kitty, the waitress who works this shift always give me a free basket of fries." Elena says getting out of the car.

"We drove another town over for milkshakes and french fries?" Stefan asks.

"Free french fries, Stef. When we're in there call me Betty. And come up with your own fake names." She tells them.

"What? Why?" Damon asks.

"Just do it." Elena walks into the dinner and an older waitress greets her.

"Hey Betty. Look at you. You look stunning." Shes says sweetly.

"Thank you, Kitty. We'll take three shakes, one vanilla, one chocolate, and one peanut butter. Extra whipped cream." Elena says sitting down in her favorite booth.

"Comin' right up, doll." Kitty says walking to the kitchen.

Walking up to Elena's booth Kitty sets down the fries and shakes.

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Elena bouncing in her seat while dipping fries in the vanilla shake.

"Of course, doll. Are you gonna introduce me to your friends?" Kitty raise a brow while Elena covers her mouth and ducks her head.

"Sorry. Guys this is Kitty and Kitty this is," Elena gestures to Damon.

"I'm Derek, it's nice to meet you Kitty." Damon all but purrs.

"And this is," Elena gestures to Stefan.

"Uh, Steven. I'm Steven." Stefan says while Elena smiles at him playing along, terribly.

"Well it's very nice to meet you boys. You know, Betty's never brought anyone here before. You must be special." Kitty says to them as they smile at Elena.

"Very." Elena tells her simply.

"What's got you all dressed up with two handsome men on your arms?" Kitty asks.

"We just came from a town function, thought we cap off the night here." Elena says.

"Awe, Betty all your adventures that top off here, make me wish I was young again." Kitty says no doubt reminiscing about her youth.

"Whatever, don't let her fool you. She's lived more than all of us combined. You know she's been married four times?" Elena tells the brother rolling her eyes at the waitress.

"That's just the legal times." Kitty adds

"See! And she doesn't even have to work here. Her last husband died under mysterious circumstances and left her millions. She's totally loaded. She only works here cause she's bored." Elena's says at Kitty shakes her head.

"Hon, you've got to stop saying that. It wasn't mysterious, he had a heart attack." She tells them.

"Mm-hmm, sure he did." Elena says unconvinced.

"What are all the places you've lived? London? Paris? Rome? Venice? And didn't you live in Barcelona for a bit?" Elena asks.

"That's just Europe, doll." Kitty says with a laugh walking away 

"That, my lovelies is why we drove another town over." Elena says look towards Kitty.

"The waitress?" Damon asks.

"Mhm, she's who I wanna be when I grow up. She's lived! I wanna do that. See the world while taking lovers in every port. That's the dream." Elena states while the boys laugh.

"So turn. You'll have forever to see the whole world and compulsion to do it for free." Damon states simply.

"Maybe one day, I got things to do that require a human doppelganger." Elena shrugs.

"Wait, you'd be willing to turn?" Stefan asks shocked.

"Of course, I think I would like being a vampire. As a human, I already understand the secret to control." Elena says.

"Well, are you gonna share with the class?" Damon asks pretending not care.

"Revel in it. The bloodlust. The hunt. You're at the top of the food chain. It's a vampire's nature. A few people might die. It's sad, but that's part of being mortal." Elena says stunning Stefan.

"What are you saying? You really don't care what happens to innocent people?" Stefan asks more curious than judgemental.

"I'm inherently apathetic, Stefan. Everything I've seen, it's very hard to care about random people when I'm already worrying about the people I love. So if someone I don't know, however innocent they may be, needs to die for my friends to live, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger." Elena says seriously.

"I never claimed to selfless, Stefan. That's probably the main difference between me and OG Elena, she was selfless to a fault, and it got everyone she cared about hurt. I won't let that happen. The people I love, are gonna live the very best lives possible. Because I'm gonna make it happen." Elena states getting up.

"Now. Try the peanut butter shake, I've gotta pee." Elena goes to restroom while Kitty walks to their booth.

"You know, for the past few months she's seemed a little sadder the normal. This is the first time I've seen El happy in while." She tells them.

"Wait, you know her real name?" Stefan asks.

"Who do think taught her to use a fake one?" She asks in a sassy tone.

"What I'm trying to say, she's seem happier and I'm assuming it's because of you two. Don't hurt her. The world's not as bright when that girl stops smiling." Kitty says and walks away.

"You guys ready to go?" Elena ask when she gets back to the booth.

"Yeah, come on." Damon grabs her hand throwing down a 50 while Stefan slurps the last of the peanut butter milkshake.

"You were right. These are the best milkshakes in the world!" Stefan exclaims chasing after them to the car.


	20. Liberation

Elena walks downstairs for breakfast after getting ready for the day and bumps into her beautiful aunt Jenna.

"Good morning, Jen. What's on the "aJenda" for today?" Elena asks her aunt who just raises an unamused brow.

"Get it? Like Jen and gen."

"Yes, I got it. I'm not laughing cause that was terrible." Elena shrugs as Jenna continues 

"Tonight I'm going out with Logan and before you say it, it's not a date. I'm just going to torture him." Jenna says.

"Do whatever you want, just please be careful. From what I remember, he convinces you to invite him in and he searches Rem's things for the watch." Elena tells her.

"Ugh, that little weasel. I'm really gonna screw with him now." Jenna murmurs.  
______

After making breakfast, Elena takes a plate of food and a cup of coffee up to her brother's room.

Knock. Knock. Elena bangs on his door with her foot calling his name.

"Rem, open up. I made breakfast. And by made, I mean I pulled the pop tarts out of the toaster."

"Hey, thanks. Come in." Jeremy says after opening the door and stepping aside.

"I just wanted to bring you breakfast and tell you I'm heading over to the boarding house." Elena says standing in the doorway.

"Right, today's "Liberate Lorenzo st. John" day. Please be careful, Ellie. If something goes wrong let the Salvatores handle it. Please." Jeremy begs.

"Nothing's gonna go wrong, but if it does I promise I'll let Stefan or Damon handle it." Elena tells her brother before leaving him to his meal.  
______

Elena walks into the boarding house like she owns the place.

"Yoo-hoo, Salvatores!" Elena calls as she stands in the parlor.

"Hey, El. What are you doing here?" Stefan greets with a hug while Damon walks down the stairs.

"Well, Handsome. Today is the day we're gonna rescue your big brother's best friend." Elena is barely able to get out as Damon runs over pulling her into a hug and spinning her.

"Yes! Finally! What are we gonna do? What do we need?" Damon rushes out question setting her down while Stefan smiles at his enthusiasm.

"You, my blue eyed friend, need to go grab some blood bags from downstairs while me and Stef go pack a bag of clothes for Enzo." Elena says and Damom vamp speeds away.

"He seems excited." Elena deadpans and Stefan laughs pulling her up the stairs to his room.  
_______

Outside the building that holds the microbiology lab Elena and the Salvatore brothers are sitting in her SUV, going over the plan... again.

"I thought you told your friends we going to come with you to the meeting to get an invitation in." Damon asks.

"No. I told them I'm gonna meet with him and that you guys are gonna get an invite. I never said at the same time. I don't want them to worry. Look, I know you just want to help Enzo, but I've been over the plan countess times. This is gonna work." Elena tells him sternly.

"And if it doesn't?" Damon asks.

"Then we kill everyone, then save him. Happy? This is just the plan that has the least questions. Now, I'm gonna go meet with the good doctor and you guys grab these supplies from the bio lab." Elena says handing Stefan a list of things she needs.

"Okay. Let's do this." Elena says as they all step out of the car.  
_______

"Hello, Dr. Maxfield. Thank you so much for meeting with me." Elena says as Wes directs her to his office.

"Of course. Your father was a mentor to me. He'd be so proud that you want to join." Wes tells her honestly.

"That's why I'm considering this. My dad was my hero." Elena lies. 

"I'd really like to learn more about what he did. Do you have any of his notes?" 

"I believe I have some in my storage closet, I'll go grab them." Wes says standing up.

"That's great." Elena says as she looks on his desk at his day planner and sitting back down.

"Your father always hoped you'd become a doctor, but if you don't you could still become a member of Augustine." Wes says setting the box of her dads things down.

Elena pretends to skim through it when she notices something.

"Though I understand vampires are killers and my subject in particular has no humanity, his pleas to end his torture are starting to effect my work..." Elena reads out loud trailing off.

"Wait, what? These subjects, they know what's happening? They aren't unconscious?" Elena asks not having to pretend to be horrified.

"Well, yes. Normal sedatives don't works on vampires and vervain could disrupt the healing process. I know it's not ideal, but we have to make sacrifices for the greater good." Wes bullshits.

"And if it helps, the subjects are often murders." He offers.

"Thank you for meeting with me, Dr. Maxfield. I'll have to think about this." Elena says rushing out the office as Wes calls after her.  
_______

Back in her car Elena waits for the brothers, lost in her thoughts about her father.

"Hey, El." Stefan says opening the door making her jump a little.

"We got everything. Did you see his schedule?" Damon ask getting in the passenger seat.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. He's free tonight and tomorrow." Elena says distracted.

"You okay, Ellie?" Damon asks letting his worry show.

"I don't know. My dad was a much bigger dick than I thought." Elena says after taking a deep breath.

"So was ours. Good thing Stef killed him." Damon jokes making her smile and Stefan roll his eyes.

"You sure your okay?" Stefan ask leaning in between the driver and passenger seats.

"Yes. Thank you, baby." Elena says pinching his cheeks while Damon laughs.

Stefan huffs trying to hide a smile.

"Why am I in the back again?" Stefan asks crossing his arms.

"Because, Ellie drove and I'm older than you." Damon says smirking at his brother.

"Whatever." Stefan grumbles childishly.

"So, what do we do now?" Damon asks already bored after two minutes.

"First, we are gonna find the shadiest motel near us and compel a room. Then, we are gonna go get some food and snacks appropriate for a stake out." Elena says excited.

"Stake out? How long do you think he will be in class?" Damon asks.

"I don't know, but stake out sounds so much cooler than just wait for him to go to his car." Elena whines.

"I like it, El. It feels like we're spies." Stefan tells her smiling when she smiles brightly at him.

"Ugh, no one likes a kiss ass, Stefan." Damon says.  
_________

"Licorice?" Damon holds the package up to Elena after sitting in her SUV for a few hours, waiting for Dr. Maxfield.

"No and you're disgusting for eating those." Elena says slurping down her melted milkshake.

"I drink human blood, Ellie" Damon rolls his eyes.

"Whatever, I kinda like the taste of blood." Elena says while the brothers look at her like she's crazy.

"What? Its taste like rust. I don't have to explain myself to you." Elena says leaning back in her seat.

"Ughhh, how much longer are we gonna wait for this guy?" Damon complains like the child that he is.

"I don't know. He's probably grading papers or something nefarious. He's a mad scientist, Ocean Eyes. They're very unpredictable." Elena says trying stop him from going in the building and dragging the doctor out by his throat.

"Is that him?" Stefan asks leaning forward between the front seats.

"It is. Get down." Elena whisper shouts leaning under the steering wheel.

"He can't hear you." Damon says rolling his eyes and opening his door.

"Right. Come on." Elena says getting out of the car.

After walking towards Dr. Maxfield, Damon speeds infront of him and he makes a startled sound walking backwards bumping into Stefan.

"Hiya, Doc." Wes hears a feminine voice say before everything goes black.  
________

Wes stirs awake with a groan to someone poking his face repeatedly and saying

"Wake up, wake up, wake up."

"Oh, finally!" A familiar voice says as his eyes try to focus.

"Elena?" Wes ask very confused trying to move his duck taped arms.

"Very observant, Doctor." Elena says mock encouragingly.

"What'd you do? Where are we? Who are they?" Wes asks looking around the motel room, eyes landing on the Salvatores.

"What does it look like? We nurse-napped you." Elena says amused.

"I'm a doctor." Wes says way too offended for the situation.

"I know, I just like alliteration. And these fine men, are my friends. But they aren't important Wesley, these are." Elena says kicking the box of medical supplies towards him.

"You see these? We borrowed them from your bio lab. Sorry for not asking first, that was inconsiderate of us." Elena says with a smirk rummaging through the box.

"Wh-what are you gonna do with those? Wes asks visibly freaking out.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just gonna drain you of all your vervain tainted blood and replace it. Then blue eyes over there is gonna compel you." Elela says pointing at Damon.

"Untie me! You're gonna kill me." Wes says struggling against the tape.

"Dude, I'm holding a needle. Calm down." Elena says to a horrified Wes.

"Stop! You don't need to compel me. I'll tell you anything." Wes says feeling faint from blood loss.

"Wes, I don't need you to tell me anything." Elena mocks in his whiney voice.

"I need you to do some stuff, only a mind controlled robot would do. But A for effort!" Elena says cheerfully.

"Why are you doing this, Elena. Your dad would be so disappointed in you." Wes tries to manipulate her.

"My dad liked to dissect and experiment on conscious people. Kidnapping and playing nurse seems pretty low tier in comparison." Elena responds.

"Vampires! He experimented on vampires and he saved a little girls life." 

"I don't know who you think you're talking to, but let me be very clear, my dad is dead. He doesn't care what I'm doing. So you are gonna stop bringing him up, because honestly, the more you claim I'm disappointing him, the more I want to disappoint him." Elena says shutting him up.

"How do you even know how to do this?" Damon asks amused picking up a needle and accidentally sticking himself.

"My dad may have been a bigoted asshole, but he liked to bond with his children. The only way I would hang around him was if he let me play with his medical stuff. He taught me to find a vain. Hilariously ironic that I'm using that knowledge to destroy his work." Elena muses setting up blood bags.

"I'll be right outside." Stefan says backing out of the room uncomfortable with the smell of blood.

"You look familiar. Who are you." Wes says to Damon as Elena nods at Stefan.

"It doesn't matter who he is, all that matters is that he doesn't like you." Elena says walking closer to him.

"And neither do I." Elena snarls leaning into his neck as he screams.

Elena snort and start giggling uncontrollably.

"Jesus christ, you're such a weenie. I'm not vampire." Elena says still laughing.

"Why are doing this, Elena?" Wes asks again.

"This is not a Bond movie where I reveal my diabolical plans, right before you escape and stop me." Elena says annoyed.  
_______

"Wakey, wakey, Wesley." Elena says slapping his cheeks as he groans.

"What happened?" Wes says groggily.

"You passed out, may have taken too much blood. That's on me. I got distracted, there was a car chase on the news." Elena says excited.

Damon snorts and walks towards them.

"What is he doing?" Wes asks as Damon picks up a scalpel.

"Hot stuff over here, is gonna test your blood for vervain. You should thank me, he wanted to rip into your throat." Wes winces as Damon cuts into his wrist and brings it to his mouth.

"It's clean, let's get started." Damon says with a smirk.

Damon looks into his eyes and repeats what Elena tells him.

"Don't speak unless spoken to. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Wes says robotically.

"We are gonna leave, follow us. Avoid eye contact with anyone but Elena and myself. Do not tell anyone you are with us by force. Do not tell anyone your name even if they ask. Do not tell anyone Elena's name. Forget Elena is Dr. Gilbert's daughter. Do you understand?" Damon says still compelling him.

"Yes." 

"Good, let's go." Damon grabs Elena's hand and pushes Wes infront of them.

One the way to the car Damon compels a housekeeper to clean the room and forget everything she sees.  
_______

Once the vampire brothers, doppelganger, and mind controlled doctor, get back to campus Damon turns to Wes and compels him again.

"Where does Augustine keep Lorenzo st. John?" 

"The basement of the Whitmore House." Wes says robotically.

"How do you get into the lab?"

"There is a Electronic keypad." Wes tells him.

"What's the code?" Damon asks as they arrive at Whitmore House.

"074294" Wes says hoping that was the last question.

"Okay. Come on." Damon says as they get out of the car.

"He needs to invite you guys in." Elena says after taking Wes's keys out of her pocket.

"And ask him which keys we need." Damon nods and turns back to Wes.

"Tell her what keys we'll need to get into the house and basement." Elena interrupts him.

"And the keys to Enzo's cell."

"And the keys to the cell." 

"The silver one is for the house, the darkest one is for the basement, and the cell key is hanging just outside the lab door."

"Good, now invite me and him in." Damon points to Stefan.

"Come in." Wes says after Elena unlocks the backdoor.

"Huh, nice. Certainly doesn't look like your torturing innocent people in the basement" Elena says looking around.

"Ellie, it's a college they're torturing innocent people everywhere." Damon says walking towards the basement as Elena low fives him.

"Alright Wesley, you've served your purpose. Ocean eyes, come here." Elena says turning to the doctor. 

"Elena, you don't have to do this. You don't have to kill me, please. Just compel me to forget." Wes begs desperately.

"Compel him to forget this happened." Damon complys.

"Off you pop." Elena shoos him, as Wes runs like a bat out of hell.

"Why did you let him go?" Stefan asks. 

" I didn't let him go, I just gave him a little head start." At the brothers confused faces Elena continues.

"Enzo has been locked up since the forties. I'm sure he would love a good hunt." Elena says with her signature devious smirk.

"Your a little psychopath. I love it." Damon says unlocking the basement door.

Elena just laughs and follows him down the basement steps.

When they get to the lab door Elena looks down at the key pad.

"Alright Damon, punch in the code."

"I don't know the code, I thought you were listening."

"I wasn't listening, you were the one compelling him, I thought you were listening." Elena says with wide eyes as Stefan bumps her away from the door.

"My god, how you two managed to make it this far into the plan, completely eludes me." He says punching in the code and opening the door.

"I've always had my type-A barbie. Caroline." Elena adds at their confused expressions

"Eh, I always figure it out." Damon says grabbing the keys, looking around for the cells.

They all stop infront of the middle cell staring at man lying on the floor.

"Back for more, doctor?" A tired voice asks in a delicious British accent.

"Can you blame him? I'd never get enough." Elena flirts, then smirks when his head snaps towards them.

"Damon?" Enzo asks in a heartbreaking tone that makes Elena want to give him a hug.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, we don't have a lot of time. We need to-" Enzo cuts him off.

"You left me to die!" He screams using the past of his strength to bang against the cell bars.

"I know! I know. But please, we need to leave before the sun comes up. Just, take these." Damon hangs him two blood bags throught he bars as Elena unlock the cells, opening the door.

"Who are you, gorgeous?" Enzo flirts noticing Elena.

"Two seconds free and already flirting, my kind a man. Call me El." Elena smirks looking him up and down.

"Keep it in your pants, Ellie. Hand me the bag, Stef." Damon says grabbing the bag from his brother.

"Here, put these on. Just follow us." Damon hands him the clothes and turns around.

Damon sees Elena not turning around and raises an eyebrow. She she just smirks and turns back to Enzo, he huffs and grabs her hand, pulling her towards him.

Walking out of the basement, Elena notices Enzo looking around for another exit.

"I wouldn't do that, sweet cheeks." Elena tells him and he turns her, not threatened in the least bit.

"Did you know only about five witch bloodlines have the spell to make daylight rings? I'm real tight with one. You stick with us and I'll put a ring on it." Elena tells him. After nodding he looks at her confused.

"What's "put a ring on it?" She smiles and throws an arm over his shoulder, then retracts it, remembering he's been near starving for 70 years.

"Your gonna love Beyonce, Enzo." She tells him honestly as Stefan smiles and grabs her hand, subtlety pulling her away from the starving vampire.

Walking towards the car in the parking lot, Enzo looks around amazed as Elena laughs at his expression.

"Now it's time to show you the wonders of air conditioning." Elena says opening the door and pushing Enzo inside.


	21. Enzo

Once they arrive inside the boarding house Enzo slams Damon up against the wall with his hand around his neck... kinda hot, actually.

"Explain." Enzo demands with crazed look in his eyes.

"This seems like a "vampires only" kinda thing. So, I'm just gonna-" Enzo interrupts Elena as she slowing backs away towards the door.

"No. We had a deal. You stay." She sighs and nods in conformation.

"How did you know I was alive?"

"That was me, actually." Elena raises her hand.

"How?" Enzo asks confused.

"I know the future." She says simply and he laughs.

"What?" He asks noticing her serious face.

"Yeah, I can see the future. I've been planning to rescue you for the past 17 years. I just had to wait for these guys to come to town." She says pointing to the brothers.

"Why? You don't even know me." Enzo says.

"That's true, but you didn't deserve to trapped there. And you would have been released in two years anyway. I just sped up the timeline." She shrugs.

"How would I have been released?" 

"Uh, it's kinda a long story. Why don't we sit." Elena gestures to the couch.

"I'm sitting, explain." Enzo demands.

"Alright. Had I not interfered, you would have escaped, then killed a girl, then got recaptured, then Wesley would have released you to stall Steffy and Dames, to ensure you would come back he would have infected you with some kind of poison that only he can cure. You would've started to succumb to the poison and Damon would have saved you." She takes a deep breath.

"What did we have to do with it?" Stefan asks.

"Oh, right. The girl he killed was me and Caroline's roommate. We investigated her disappearance and it led us to Augustine. I got captured by Wes and you guys were trying to save me." Elena tells them.

"Why would Wes want you?" Damon asks.

"Because I was a vampire." She says while the Salvatores jaws drop.

"Did I not tell you that? Care was one too." She says simply.

"Woah. Who turned yo-" Enzo interrupts Stefan.

"Can we get back to discussing me now?" Enzo asks both annoyed and angry.

"Yes. Damon, I think it's time to tell him." Elena says as Damon sighs.

"You sure you want to be here for this, El?" Stefan asks with concern.

"Yeah, I think they might both need someone." She says honestly.

"You need to understand something, Enzo. I didn't know and my emotions were turned off. If I knew it was her I would never have done it." Damon says pleading with Enzo to understand.

"What did you do, Damon?" Enzo asks stiffly.

"I killed Maggie. Your Maggie." Damon says quietly.

"When?" He ask eerily calm.

"November, 1960. I didn't know, Enzo. She was asking questions about the fire and I thought she was with Augustine. I never would have-" Enzo interrupts.

"You never would have what? Killed her? Left me?" He says standing up.

"Enzo, I didn't-" Enzo interrupts Damon.

"You killed the love of my life, the one thing that gave me any semblance of hope. The only person who's ever truly cared for me? And your excuse is that you didn't know?" Enzo yells speeding towards Stefan, smashing his hand through his chest.

"Perhaps I'll take away something you love. Then we'll be even. Don't you think?" He ask never taking his eyes off of Stefan.

"Enzo, please don't do this." Damon begs walking slowing towards them.

"Damon, I love you. But, please shut up." Elena says quietly stepping closer towards Stefan.

"Enzo. Enzo, look at me." She says sternly trying to make eye contact.

"Look, I'm not great with the emotions of people I don't know. But, I'm no stranger to loss." She says as he looks to her with pain in his eyes.

"A few months ago my family was in a car accident. Me and my brother survived, but our parents died. We survived because, the man whose chest you have your hand through, pulled us from the car before it caught fire. So I'm asking you, as a person who knows exactly what it's like to lose someone you love, please don't hurt him." She pleads placing her hand on his wrist.

Enzo retracts his hand from Stefan's chest cavity and turns to Damon.

"I'm sure he's not the only person you love." He says nonchalantly and smirks.

"Me and Enzo made a deal. I gotta go talk to a witch. Stef, come with me, you need some bambi blood. You two, please don't kill each other. And don't turn your emotions off Enzo" she adds and he looks at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I know everything. Just ask Ocean Eyes." Elena says grabbing Stefan's hand and walking out of the house.

After Elena and Stefan exit the boarding house, Damon opens his mouth to speak, only for Enzo to hold up a hand.

"No, you dont get to talk. I'm gonna get my ring, then I'm gonna leave." He says walking out of the room only to realize he has know idea around the house.  
__________

Walking back to Elena's SUV after hunting, Stefan comes upon the girl who quickly became his best friend, singing and playing the air drums to AC/DC.

"Back in black  
I hit the sack

I've been too long I'm glad to be back

Yes, I'm let loose  
From the noose

That's kept me hanging about

I've been looking at the sky  
'Cause it's gettin' me high

Forget the hearse 'cause I never die

I got nine lives  
Cat's eyes

Abusin' every one of them and running wild"

she sings/screams switching to air guitar.

"She really is a terrible singer." Stefan thinks with a fond smile slamming his hands on the car, making her jump.

'"Ahh, oh no! Vampire!" She fake faints making him laugh as he gets in the car.

"Wow, you're such a messy eater." Elena says licking her thumb and wiping his face.

"How's your chest?" She asks lifting his shirt and smirking.

"Fine." He says.

"Mmm. Yes, you are." She says making him laugh and blush.

"Where to?" He ask as she puts her seat belt on.

"Bonnie's grams, then lunch with my Care Bear." Elena says as he nods.

"Or motel, your choice." She flirts and he rolls his eyes.

"So, earlier with Enzo, you know the whole, knowing what it's like to lose someone you love." She shrugs.

"What about it?" She looks to him curious.

"Did you mean it? Do you love me?" He asks feeling vulnerable.

"I thought it was obvious. Of course I do. I shared my milkshake." She says simply making him smile and say.

"Right. Milkshake."  
__________

"So?" Caroline asks Elena who just looks back at her confused.

"So? What?" She asks eat a fry off of Stefan's plate.

"Is he hot?" Caroline asks while both Stefan and Elena look at her confused.

"Ugh! Enzo." She exclaims throwing her hand up.

"Oh! Undoubtebly. He's tall, dark, and British." Elena supplies licking her lips.

"Yum. I love British accents." Care says making Elena laugh.

"Oh, I'm very aware." she says smirking thinkg of Care's romp in the woods.

"What's that face for? That's your "I know something you don't know" face." Care says as Stefan nods.

"I have no idea what your talking about." Elena slurps the milkshake Stefan ordered and slid over to her.  
__________

A few hours after Elena left Damon searches the house for Enzo and finds him in the kitchen.

"Enzo, you gotta listen to me-" Enzo interrupts Damon.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Damon. I don't "gotta" do anything. I'm free." He turns and faces Damon.

"You see, my original plan, should I have ever escaped, was to track down Maggie and see the life she made for herself. Hopefully with a couple kids and maybe grandkids and a husband who worshipped her, but you've made that obsolete, haven't you? Then I was gonna find you and make you pay for your betrayal, but ultimately forgive you, because I understood that you needed to get out of there, by any means necessary. But once again, you ruined it."

Enzo walks past Damon, out of the kitchen and towards the parlor, taking a seat on the ancient couch.

"I didn't do it to hurt you, Enzo." Damon says as he falls into the matching chair.

"I had my emotions turned off." He groans dramatically.

"What about now?" Enzo ask in a non threatening tone for the first time since he arrived.

"They're... teetering." Damon struggles to get out.

"I'd have nothing to do with my beautiful little savior. Would it?" Enzo smirks as Damon shakes his head.

"It's not what you think." He denies.

"What I think is that you're in love with your girl, the one who turned you." Damon cuts him off.

"I am." He says sternly.

"So why are you running around and looking at this girl like she's the second coming." He asks teasingly.

"It's not like that. She's just my... Ellie." Damon slumps farther into the chair.

"She also seems to be your brother's, Ellie." Enzo taunts as Damon snorts and shakes his head.

"Now it's really not what you think." He says and Enzo raises a brow.

"She's just... special. Like, she makes you feel all... happy or, uh... accepted? It's weird. You know, she's threatened to kill me on multiple occasions, and the crazy thing is I actually believe she'll do it. And she's just so random. She once tricked me into going to some party with her and Stefan because she wanted to dance. But then I find out that she only invited us to get us to bond and make up or something. Why she cares, I have no clue. But she does. She just... special. " Damon rambles and Enzo snickers.

"Not in love with her, right?" He says as Damon rolls his eyes and smiles.

"Honey, I'm home!" They hear as Elena and Stefan walk through the front door.

"Oh, my apologies, Honies. You two look cozy." She wiggles her finger between them, then her eyes go wide.

"Oh, my god. You two were making up weren't you. Oh, damn it. I ruined it. Me and Stef are just gonna go back outside. Continue." She rushes out turning around and pulling Stefan with her.

"Ellie, stop." Damon laughs.

"Fine, I talked to my hook up. She'll have the ring dropped off in a little bit." Elena says walking over to the couch and flopping down.

"She's not a coke dealer in the 90's Ellie, she's college professor." Damon laughs as she stretches out with her legs over Enzo's lap.

She just smiles at him as Stefan walks into the room and leans on the arm rest next to her.

"Huh. You know I once had a dream that started just like this." She teases looking around at the vampires.

"Do share." Damon smirks and she laughs.

"Maybe some other time. I've been awake well over 24 hours and need a nap. But if you wanted to give me sexy dreams starring yourself, I wouldn't complain, Ocean Eyes." She flirts sitting up, titling her head and looking him up and down as Stefan laughs.

"Come on, El. Get some sleep in my bed. I'll wake you when Bonnie gets here." Stefan says looking down at here with a soft smile.

"Only if you carry me. And join me." She says and he raises a brow with a smirk.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Salvatore. You're still not fully healed. You need rest too." She finishes spinning her finger, motioning for him to turn around.

"Watch the couch." Damon halfheartedly yells when she stand up on the couch and jumps on Stefan's back.

"Sorry, my bad. I forgot it's almost as old as you." Elena fake apologizes and smiles at him.

"Goodnight, Enzo. Onward!" Elena yells with a laugh as Stefan runs up the stairs.


	22. Enzo pt.2

When he hears a knock at the door Damon speeds over and answers it, revealing the beautiful Bennet.

"Glenda." He greets teasingly.

"Drac." She replies equally friendly as he laughs rolling his eyes.

"Wait here, I'll go wake the kids." He says then stops turning back to her.

"I'd be careful, there's a pissed off vampire around here." He says looking around.

"Other than you?" She jokes as he runs up the stairs.  
_______

Walking into Stefan's room without knocking Damon comes face to face with the adorable sight of his baby brother cuddled into his Ellie's neck, with her legs wrapped around him like a panda to bamboo.

So of course, he ruins it.

"Wake up!" He shout and Stefan sits up wide eyed with Elena still around him.

"Ooh, is the sexy dream starting?" Elena mumble looking up at Damon.

"No, sorry. Sabrina the Teenage Witch is downstairs. Might want to go save her from Enzo." He says as she jumps up and runs downstairs in Stefan's shirt and a long pair of socks.  
______

Enzo is about to introduce himself to the witch when Elena comes barreling towards them.

"Bon Bon! I've missed you." She says into Bonnie's hair after pulling her into a tight hug.

"I missed you too, sweetie. But, we did see each other yesterday." She says amused as Elena pulls away.

"I know, I'm just sleep deprived. Feels a little like I'm high. It's great." Bonnie laughs and turns back to Enzo.

"Oh right, Bon this is Enzo the recently rescued and Enzo this is Bonnie Bennet, mega powerful witch with beautiful eyes." Elena introduces them, Bonnie smiles at the compliment.

"It's a pleasure, love." Enzo says as Bonnie nods and shakes his hand.

"Same." She replies and turns towards Elena, handing her a small pouch.

"One daylight ring, courtesy of grams." She says and Elena jumps and down.

"Thank you, Honey bee. My love for you is unparalleled." She says bringing her into another hug.

"Hmm hm. You know, I've heard you say that to both Caroline and Tyler before." Bonnie teases.

"Yes, but I only mean with you." Elena assures in a husky tone, making Bonnie laugh.

"Sure you do. I love you, Ellie." Bonnie says turning around and opening the front door.

Dropping her playfully sultry tone Elena giggles and yells,

"Awe! I love you too, honey!" 

Elena turns back to Enzo and grabs his left hand.

"With this ring, do you, Lorenzo st. John take me, Sexy Doppelganger to be your new, weird friend." She ask and he laughs.

"I do." He tries to keep a straight face as she slides the ring on his ring finger.

"I now pronounce you, a day walker." She laughs as he brings her into a hug

"Thank you, Ellie." He says sincerely and she smiles.

"We had a deal. Now, what do you want to do?" She asks curious whether he's going to leave or not.

"I don't know if I want to stay here, but I dont exactly have anywhere to go." 

"I have a friend. I called him earlier to see if he'd be willing to let you crash at his place for a while. He said sure. If you really don't want to be here I'll give you ride." Elena tells him.

"That's really nice, Ellie. But I don't want to put anyone out." He says.

"You're not. Slater's really cool and totally obsessed with me." He raise a brow confused.

"Let's just say, my existence has supernatural significance. He's a total nerd. Slater's spent his immortality, learning. More specifically, learning about vampire history. He'll probably want to know all about Augustine. But only if you want to tell him." She adds noticing the hesitant look on his face.

"Yeah, okay. But only for a little while." He responds and she smiles.

"Okay, let me go get my stuff and say bye to the boys." Elena runs up the stairs as Damon walks into the room.

"You don't have to do this, Enzo." Damon says with an exasperated sigh.

"What should I do, Damon? Stay here? Help you open the tomb so I can watch you live happily ever after with your love, knowing you killed mine? Let me be clear, the only reason your brother isn't dead is because I like Ellie a little more than I hate you." Enzo says then walks out the front door waiting for Elena.  
_______

"Are you sure you're okay to drive? You barely got any sleep. Why don't I drive? Better yet, why don't you just stay here and I'll take him." Stefan fuses over Elena as she puts her clothes back on.

"I'll be fine, mom. I've hit that 30 hour mark where I feel completely energized." Elena assures him.

"That's terrible idea. You could fall asleep at the wheel and die or Enzo could attack you and die or that Slater guy could attack you and-" Elena cuts him off with a teasing smile.

"Die? I'll be fine. Enzo's a good guy and Slater's way too lame to kill me. I promise to get a coffee and call you on the way back." She says placing her hands on his shoulders.

"No! Do not call me while driving." He stresses.

She laughs and kisses him on the cheek walking out of the room and down the stairs.

"Uh oh, are you gonna go all mother hen on me too?" Elena ask holding her hands up when Damon does a once over with his eyes.

"No. Well, not nearly as dramatic. Just please be careful and call me when you get there. And... never mind." He says turning around.

"I will. And I'll talk to Enzo. I promised he would forgive you, and he will. He just need time and fortunately, you have it in spades." She says turning him around and hugging him.

"I gotta go. Take care of Stefan for me." Elena says walking out of the door.

"Sorry I took so long. You ready?" Elena asks Enzo and he nods.

"Don't be. Stefan seems to really care for you." He says, very clearly imply something.

"Yeah. Me and Stef have gotten really close since they showed up." She says shrugging walking with him to her car.

"Damon also cares for you."

"Enzo, you're about as good at being subtle as I am at being unattractive. Out with it." Elena says with a raised brow.

"Are you in a relationship with Stefan?" He asks as she starts the car.

Elena laughs and looks over to him.

"No. I don't do that. I love the guy but only as a friend, friend I want to bone, but a friend." She says smiling at his confused face.

"Bone?" He asks

"Pounding it out? Making the beast with two backs? Hiding the bishop? Doing the nasty? Sex, Enzo. Sex." She laughs and he looks away.

"Right. Well if you want to "bone" him why aren't you in a relationship?" He asks amusing Elena with his use of bone.

"Because I also want to bone Damon and inability to feel romantic attraction plus hots for brother equals shitty relationship." She says driving out of the Salvatore's driveway.

"Makes sense, I guess. So how far away is you friend?" Enzo asks changing the subject.

"About two hours, but we have to stop at Target to get you some essentials." 

"Target?" Enzo asks confused again.

"Heaven on earth. It has food, clothes, makeup, popcorn. They have popcorn, Enzo. It amazing." 

"I believe you." He says amused.  
_________

"You're right. That was wonderful." Enzo says as they get back in the car after their trip to his new favorite place.

"I told you. Target is heaven on earth." Elena says handing him his icee and bag of popcorn.  
________

"This is the place." Elena says as she pull up to Slater's apartment building.

"Before we go in do you want to go grab a bite while I call Damon? I'm sure Slater's gonna bombard you with questions so, this might be your only chance to get something fresh." 

"Alright, I'll be right back." Enzo nods getting out of the care as Elena rolls down the window and yells.

"Remember, snatch, eat, erase!" She teases as he rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Damon Salvatore, how can I please you?" Damon flirts as soon as he answers the phone.

"Careful, Ocean Eyes. Thay voice is really getting me going." She teases.

"How was it? Oh, and I can't find my wallet, I'm sure that has nothing to do with you right?" Damon asks already knowing the answer.

"I have know idea what you're talking about, that good bye hug was completely innocent. And as for how is was, I did something bad." She says with a grimace.

"Yeah, you stole my wallet. Evil little pickpocket. I should have known when you caressed my ass." Damom mutters as Elena starts laughing uncontrollably.

"Why are you laughing like that? What did you do?" He ask as she continues her manic laughter.

"It's really bad, Day." She days calming a bit.

"Ellie, what did you do?" He asks.

"I may told Enzo that... Limp Bizkit is considered the greatest band of all time." Elena confesses.

"No you did not." Damon states incredulously.

"I did. I'm so sorry, it was right there. He ask what that song was and the words came out before I could stop then. You should have see his face, Ocean Eyes. I think he considered flipping the switch." Elena says throwing herself into another fit of laugher as Damon loses it.

"That might be worse then what I did to him" Damon says through a laugh 

"I know. I bet it's gonna turn out terribly. I can't wait. Anyway, Enzo's back from feeding, I'm gonna take him up to Slater. Tell Stef I'll call him in little bit." She says

Damon's says okay and hangs up as Enzo approaches the car confused.

"Why do you have tears on your face?" He ask and Elena starts laughing again.  
_______

"Alright, that's the last of his stuff. Thank you for doing this Slater. I know you don't owe me anything." Elena says setting down the bags of Enzo's stuff.

"You kidding me? You gave ability to walk in the sun, I owe you for the rest my life." He says making Elena smile at him.

"You know, truthfully I'm still kind of shocked you're actually the doppelganger." He says looking her over.

"You couldn't handle it." She says simply as he blushes a deep red and stutters.

"What? No. I, uh. Wasn't."

"I'm messing with you." Elena says walking over to Enzo who's checking out the place.

"Nice right? Most vampires are living the good life." Elena says and Enzo laughs.

"After being in that cell, I'd take anything. But this is great." He finishes looking at her.

"Hey, I bought you this. It's kinda shitting though. It's all they had." She says handing him a package.

"Thank you, El. What is it?" He asks confused.

"Oh, right. Duh. It's a cell phone."

"Ah, yes. The doctors often spoke on these." He says reading the box.

"Speaking of, I almost forgot. I had Damon compel the doctor to forget what happened, but he will most certainly notice his missing captive." She says with a raised brow hoping he gets message.

"Why didn't you kill him?" He asks confused.

"Consider it a gift from me to you. If your talking suggestions, I'd recommend tying him up, bleeding him of vervain, then compelling him to run like the cops are after him. He'll be so paranoid you won't have to do anything. Or just you know, murder him. Dealer's choice." She shrugs making him laugh.

"I'll take it into consideration." He says

"Anyway, I thought you could call me. Update me on your life or whatever. The more gruesome the details the better. Slater has my number. I'll have him put me on speed dial." She says turning to Slater who nods and leaves the room.

"Just press this button and I'll answer." She says pointing to the keypad.

"Why are you doing this, Elena?" He asks and she glares at him.

"Ellie." He corrects with a smile.

"The phone? It's really no big deal. I stole Damon's wallet." She says patting her pocket.

"No. Not the phone or just the phone. Why are you helping me? From what you've told me we weren't close." He says as she laughs.

"I don't know. You're life has been one tragedy after another but you've stayed yourself through it all." She shrugs.

"I'm not as good as you think, Ellie." He shakes his head.

"I know that. But I don't really believe in good or bad. You could be a monster Enzo. You could hate everyone and everything and take your anger out on the world but you never have. And you never gave up. You're a survivor Lorenzo st. John. And I... admire you." She tells him honestly.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" 

"Anything, my beautiful savior." He teases as she rolls her eyes.

"Forgive Damon."

"Not that." He say instantly.

"Here me out. Not for him. okay? For you. You need him. Not today or tomorrow, but, forgive him eventually." She says.

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll think about it. For you." He adds.

"That's all I'm asking. Well, I'm gonna head out. Unlike you I have school on Monday and a severely messed up sleep schedule." She says and he grabs her hand. 

"Thank you, Ellie. For everything. I'll call you as soon as Slater teaches me to use this thing." He says lifting the phone in his hand.

"Anything for you, Zoey." She says

"Dont call me Zoey." He says shaking his head.

"Okay. Lori it is." She adds making him laugh.

"See you around, Enzo." She says walking out of the room.

"Special." He mutters with a smile.


	23. Birthday Bitch

Breathing heavy, Elena drops to the ground with a grunt after working out with Tyler.

"Okay, you get started. I'm just gonna take a quick nap." She says stretching out in the fallen leaves.

"No way. Not again. I'm not falling for it this time." Tyler shakes his head plopping down next to her.

"Last time you said "you get started" I did everything and you took all the credit." He says.

"Not my fault you fell for it." She says sitting up.

"Fine I'll help, but I want waffles." She says standing up and pulling him with her.

"Okay, deal." He nods then narrows his eyes.

"Hey. You asked me for my help not the other way around." He says as she laughs.

"Too late, Lockwood. I want whip cream on those waffles." She says turning around and looked up at the subject of their negotiation.

A few yards into the woods on the Lockwood estate stood a large tree house, the mayor's wife had built for her son and his friends years prior.

"This is a really cool idea El, but what made you think of doing this after all these years?" Tyler asks climbing up the ladder after Elena.

"This is Remy's first birthday without our parents, I want it to be special and to bring back good memories. With this whole council and Augustine thing, Rem's been really down about them. I want him to remember how much they loved him." She says looking around the tree house.

"That's a really good idea, El." He says putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course it is, I came up with it." She says with a smirk making him snort and shake his head.

"Alright, let's do this." Tyler says.

__________

"Rem, wake up. I've got waffles!" Elena says knocking on her brother bedroom door.

"Good morning, brother mine. Your almost 15, do you feel any different?" She asks teasingly when he opens the door.

"The only thing I feel is the urge to slam this door in your face." He says groggily through a yawn.

"But then you wouldn't get these delicious waffles." She says holding the plate up to him.

"Yum- wait. Who made them?" He retracts his hands from the plate with a suspicious look.

"Ha ha. They're safe, Mrs. Lockwood made them. Or more specifically, Mrs. Lockwood's chief made them." She says as he grabs the plate.

"Mmm, so good." He means shoveling the waffles into his face.

"Slow down, Rem. They aren't going anywhere." She teases earning a middle finger.

"Alright, when your done take a shower and we can hit the road." Elena says sitting down next to him.

"where's your suitcase? I want to make sure you packed everything." she says raising brow when he looks to her wide eyed.

“Well, you see. The thing is... I haven't technically packed it yet." Jeremy says setting down his plate.

"Ugh! Rem, I told you to pack days ago. You can’t wait last minute. What if something you wanted to wear is in the laundy?” Elena exclaims rummaging through his closet.

“I’m sorry, mom” He says teasingly making her turn to him wide eyed.

“Oh my god. I really did sound just like her.” She says with a laugh making her brother smile.

“Go shower while I pack. Seriously, why did you wait so long?” She asks pulling his suitcase out.

“Because there is no reason to pack three days before you leave when you can do it day of. The bag still gets packed. What does it matter when?” Jeremy says taking some clothes out of his dresser as Elena turns to him looking him in the eye.

“You forgot.”

“I forgot.” He nods walking out of the room.

___________

“Okay. So you’ve got your IDs, bathing suits, snacks, emergency money, sunscreen. What else? Am I forgetting anything?” Jenna asks helping pack Elena’s car.

“No, you’re good, Jen. We have everything we need.” Elena says as Jeremy gets in the car.

“You’re right. I’m just worried. Is this a bad idea? Should I be letting you two drive so far?” Jenna stresses herself out as Elena puts her hands on her shoulders, making Jenna look at her.

“Jen, stop freaking. We are only going for a night and we will call you at every stop we make. The drive is only a few hours and we are just going to get dinner then go straight back to the hotel. I promise everything will be okay.” She assures her aunt.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know what I would do if something happened to either of you. I’ll be fine. You two have fun. I love you.” Jenna says calming down.

“We love you, too. If you find yourself stressing again, call my Care Bear. She’s been texting me all morning. You guys can worry together.” Elena says getting into the car after hugging her aunt.

____________

“Wow, this is the place?” Jeremy says looking out the windshield as Elena pulls up to the hotel.

“Yep, nice right?” She says parking and turning off the car.

“Very. Thanks for doing this, Ellie.” Jeremy says getting their bags out of the car.

“It’s your fifteenth birthday, Rem. It’s a big deal.” She says as her brother smiles.

________

The next morning Elena woke up her brother with a speaker playing “Birthday Bitch."

“One time for the birthday bitch,

Two times for the birthday bitch,

Three times for the birthday bitch,

Fuck it up if it’s your birthday, bitch”

“Ellie, what are you-“ Jeremy tries to ask waking up.

“If you a bad bitch

And it’s your birthday

G’on head and fuck it up in the worst way” Elena continues singing/yelling.

“El, I get it.” Jeremy tells his sister amused at her dancing.

“You the birthday bitch

It’s time to do some birthday shit

I wanna see that birthday cake” Jeremy throws his head back and laughs as Elena stops singing.

“Say it.” She says with a smirk as he rolls his eyes.

“I don’t wa-“ she cuts him off.

“Say it.”

Jeremy huffs.

“I’m the birthday bitch.” He says quietly.

“And?” She asks with barely contained laughter.

“It’s time to do some birthday shit.” He finishes louder as she pulls him into a hug.

“Yes you are, baby brother. Happy Birthday!” She says as he smiles.

“Now, go get dressed. It is indeed time to do some birthday shit.” She says as he walks away laughing.

_______

Walking into the building Elena watches as her brother looks around amazed.

This was the real reason Elena insisted on driving so far to stay in a hotel for one night, she convinced her friend Rivera to open her art exhibit on Jeremy’s birthday to surprise him.

“This is why we came here?” He asked his sister making her nod.

“Thank you, so much. This is amazing.” He says still looking around with bright eyes.

“I’m glad you like it. Go look around I need to find someone.” She pushes him away as he nods distracted.

“Yeah, okay.”

Walking further into the gallery Elena spots the artist that manages to stun her with her beauty every time she sees her.

“Ellie!” Rivera exclaims walking over to her.

“I’m so glad your here. So many more people showed up then I thought would.” She says bringing Elena into a hug.

“Of course they came, they’d be stupid not too. You’re an amazing artist.” Elena pulls away admiring the girls messing curls and paint stained hands that remind her of their first meeting.

Flashback

Walking into the occult shop she called days prior trying to find a copy of a rare foreign horror flick for the scooby gang movie night, Elena comes across something far more interesting.

A few feet from the entrance a beautiful girl sways to the music playing through her head phones with a paint brush in her hands, completely oblivious to the doppelgangers stare.

“Excuse me.” Elena says tapping the girl on her shoulder making her turn around.

“Yes?” She asked, her breath hitching at the sight of Elena.

“I’m sorry. I completely forgot what i was gonna say.” Elena says a little dazed looking into her eyes.

“Then, why don’t you start with your name? I'm Rivera.” She introduces herself holding out her non paint covered hand.

“Elena.” She says gaining back her confidence.

“Well, Elena why is it you’re here?” Rivera asks wiping the paint off her hand.

“I came for some movie, but it seems I found something better.” Elena says in sultry tone making Rivera gulp.

End of Flashback

It wasn’t long before Elena noticed the amused glint in the artist’s eyes when talking about the grimoires found in the shop, making her realize the girl standing before her was in fact, a real witch.

“Thank you. But, i couldn't have done some of these without my beautiful model. Now, where is Jeremy?” Rivera asks with a smile.

“Somewhere around here. Come on, let's go find him.” Elena says grabbing Rivera’s hand.

“Rem, this is my friend and the artist, Rivera. Vera, this is Remy.” Elena introduces the two.

“All of this is amazing. It’s nice to meet you.” Jeremy says getting distracted by the art.

“Thank you. And likewise. Ellie tells me you’re an artist as well. If you ever want my Imput, you could send some sketches over.” She says kindly making the boy’s head snap to her.

“Wow, that would be great.” He says with a big smile making the older girls smile back at him

“I’ll let you get back to the exhibit, but I’d advise you not go over to that section, though.” Rivera says in a hushed tone making Elena smirk knowing exactly what pieces she’s talking about.

“What? Why?” He asks confused until noticing the look on his sisters fave making him blush red with a look of realization.

“Right. Okay.” He mutters putting his head down walking away from the laughing pair.

“You were right, he is adorable.” Rivera says when their laughs quiets.

“I know. He really loves your art. You out did yourself.” Elena says turning to her friend.

“Thank you. I only wish Danny was here.” She says looking at Jeremy with a sad smile thinking of her own brother.

“He’s not coming?” Elena asks confused.

“You told him, didn’t you?” She asks with a gentle tone.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to keep secrets from him anymore.” The artist says quietly making Elena’s heart tighten.

“You should’ve seen his face, you would think i was turned into a vampire or something.”

“I can’t believe this. How many times were there for him when he tried to numb his own magic? And he can’t handle you liking girls? Fucking pathetic.” Elena exclaims with a scoff.

“It is what it is. I guess dad had a bigger influence then I realized.” She shrugs with a hurt look on her faced.

"No, fuck that! And fuck him. If he can’t appreciate how absolutely kick ass you are, then he doesn’t deserve to be in your life.” She rants making Rivera look at her with as fond smile.

“I wish I could fix this for you. Want me to beat him up?” Elena asks with a hopeful look making Rivera laugh and shake her head.

“No, that’s okay. I just wish he was more like Jeremy. That kid seriously loves you.”

“Sorry, Ver. But no one in the world is like my little brother.” Elena looks over to him with a proud smile.

"That might have something to do with you. I mean, what older sister would drive all this way to take him to an art exhibit?”

“That was pretty great of me.” Elena say teasingly making the witch laugh.

“But it wasn’t entirely selfless, I did sneak out to see you last night.” Elena says smirking, seeing the witch blush lightly.

________

Once Jeremy finished admiring all the the 15 year old appropriate art, he went to find his sister.

“Hey, Rem. How was it? You see enough?” Elena asks ruffling her brothers hair.

“It was amazing! You are so talented.” Jeremy praises Rivera as she smiles.

“Thank you. What’s your favorite piece?”

“The library one. No. The beach one. Wait. The one with Ellie and the flowers.” He rambles making Elena laugh.

“That’s my favorite too. Wait right here, I’ll be one second.” Rivera tells them walking away.

“Are you ready to go? Jen’s been texting all morning. I think she misses us.” Elena says.

“Yeah. This was, this was amazing, Ellie. You have no idea how much I enjoyed myself.” He tells her honestly making her heart swell.

“Well, you gonna need to learn how to place your pieces when you have your own shows.”

“I don’t know. I just sketch, I’ve never done anything like these.” He gestures to the wall.

“Maybe I’m biased, but I’d walk through an entire warehouse filled with your sketchs. You’re crazy talented and this will be your life some day.” She says as he brings her into a hug.

“Here.” Rivera says holding up a rapped frame as they pull away from each other.

“You don’t have to do this. I saw the number of bids.” Jeremy say shaking his head.

“You kidding? Your sister was my muse for almost all of these pieces. Without her none of this would have been possible. So take it. Happy Birthday, kid.” She says placing the painting in his hands making him take it to the car.

“Thank you, Vera.” Elena says kissing her.

“If that’s the payment, I can go grab some more.” Rivera say after breaking the kiss making Elena laugh and kiss her again.

“It was good seeing you, Ver. If you ever need me, you have my number.” Elena says as Rivera walks her out.

“You too, Ellie. I missed you.” Parting from their goodbye kiss, Elena gets in the car driving away from the witch.

________

“What are we doing at Ty’s?” Jeremy asks his sister confused when she pulls into the Lockwood’s driveway.

“It’s still your birthday, I’ve got one more surprise.” She says with a sneaky smile.

Following behind Elena through the woods, Jeremy bumps into her when she stops.

Elena runs behind the tree that holds their treehouse and he hears grunting and a loud sound.

For a moment he thought his sister was starting a lawnmower, but that thought was quickly put aside when he sees the small lights wrapped around the tree shine brightly.

"What do think?" Elena asks her brother with her hands on her hips.

"What is this?" He asks confused.

"This is your real birthday surprise. Come on." 

After climbing up the tree after his sister, Jeremy sees that the inside of the tree house is cleaned and set up with a air mattress and sleeping bags.

Looking around he sees the projector screen pulled down and his playstation set up infront.

"We haven't done this in forever, Ellie." He says looking to her with a smile.

"I know, I just thought it would be fun." She shrugs turning on the projector.

"Here. Sit down." Elena pats the spot next to her after handing him a bag of chips.

"Ellie, come meet your baby brother." Jeremy's eyes snap to the screen hearing his dads voice.

"Ellie, meet Jeremy. Jeremy meet your sister Elena." A tired Miranda Gilbert is shown on the screen hold a new born Jeremy in her arms.

"Remy." A very small and very adorable Elena says.

"What was that, honey?" Grayson asks his daughter.

"Remy. I'm gonna call him Remy." She states as Miranda places the baby in her small arms.

The screen goes black before another video starts playing.

"Come on, Jeremy. You can do it." An excited female voice says.

"Jeremy's about to take his first steps." Grayson turns the camera from his face to little Elena holding her brothers hands as he stands up.

"Come on, Rem. Walk towards me. You got this." She says scooting back as he takes his first step towards her.

The family cheers as Elena scoops him into her arms.

Another video starts.

"Today is Jeremy's tenth birthday and we are about to wake him up." Grayson says as Elena opens her brothers door.

Walking over to his bed Elena pops a confetti popper while blowing on small party horn, cause her brother to shoot up so fast he falls out of the bed.

"Happy Birthday!" She yells as he rubs his arm.

"Not cool, Ellie." He grumbles as she smiles.

Jeremy pauses the video and turns to his sister with a watery smile.

"What made you get these out?" He asks.

"I know how guilty you've felt about missing them and I just wanted to let you know it's okay." She says placing her hand on his arm.

"They were part of the council and dad tortured vampires. I shouldn't miss him." He said wiping away his fallen tears.

"You're allowed to miss him, Rem. And I'm so sorry if I made you feel like you couldn't. He wasn't a council member to you, he was your dad, who loved and took care of you." She says bringing him to a hug and rubbing his back.

"Thank you for doing this, El. I know how you feel about him." Jeremy pulls away and nods his head towards the still image of a smiling Grayson Gilbert.

"No, dont thank me. I do hate a lot of what he stood for, but he loved us. A lot. And he'd want you to be happy." She says.

"Ellie, what have you been preparing for?" He asks out of the blue surprising Elena.

"It's a pretty long story and I don't want to ruin your birthday. I'll tell you tomorrow. Okay?" 

"Are you in danger?" He asks looking at the video of his parents.

"Hey, look at me." She says and he complies.

"I not going anywhere. Some shit is gonna go down, but I will always come back to you." She states definitively.

"You can't know that." He says in a tone that breaks her heart.

"I can and I do. Rem, I could be on the other side of the world, or the other side. Hell, even in a prison world and nothing could keep me from you. You are the most important person in my entire existence. If I have to haunt some witches or make a deal with Cade himself, I will come back to you. You mean everything to me. It's you, you should worry about. If anything ever happens to you I'll burn this whole town to the ground as the opening act." She finishes jokingly with tears in her eyes.

"Do you understand me?" She asks as he nods.

"Good. I love you, Remy."

"I love you too, Ellie. Thank you for this. Thank you for everything." He gestures to the screen.

"Yeah, what are big sisters for?" She jokes making him laugh.


	24. Missing Kat

On a seemingly unimportant night a certain raven haired Salvatore walks through a crowded Mystic Grill. 

"What can I get you?" A bored voice with a undertone of caution asks when Damon reaches the bar.

"Bourbon." He says with a smirk taking a seat on a bar stool as the bartender nods and turns around.

"Alright, anything else?" The bartender asks setting his drink down.

"Well, Ben is it? I'd really like the location of Annabelle." Damon says nonchalantly sipping his drink, making Ben's heart race and eyes go wide.

"I- uh, don't- uh-" he stutters our before Damon interrupts.

"Listen, this is really simple. Either you take me to Anna or I rip out your heart." He shrugs, Ben stiffly nods and walks around the bar.

"What do you want with Anna?" He asks as Damon guides him out the back.

"Personally? Nothing. Now, stop talking. Your voice is really giving me the urge to remove your vocal cords." Damon says.  
_______  
"This is the place?" Damon asks looking around the motel in slight disgust taking out his phone.

"Yes." Ben answers through clenched teeth.

"Hello." Stefan answers the phone.

"Hey, she's staying at the motel off main. Room 218." He says hanging up.

"Call Anna. Get her here." Damon demands impatiently.  
________  
"How'd you know?" Anna asks the Salvatore brothers and the doppelganger as she walks into the motel room.

"All of your questions will be answered once the bus boy leaves." Elena states commandingly surprising Anna.

"I'm a bartender." Ben says annoyed walking towards Elena.

"Impressive." She mocks making the Salvatores smile and Ben take a threatening step forward.

"Enough!" Anna yells pulling him back.

"Ben, leave. I'll fill you in later." She says making narrowing her eyes when Elena smirks.

"No, I should be here-" Elena interrupts.

"Isn't there a bar that needs kept? Begone." She shoos him causing him to roll his eyes and leave.

"Your parties always sucked by the way!" She yells as he slams the door.

"He's gone. How'd you know?" Anna asks impatiently making Elena raise a brow.

"Brave aren't we? I might buy it if you weren't nervously pacing, Annakin." Elena teases making Anna clench her jaw and huff.

"What? Not into Star Wars? I thought you'd like it. All nerdy and cute like." Elena leans forward.

"Or was that just your ploy to seduce my little brother." She asks some how managing to intimidate to much older vampire.

"How did you-" Anna asks Elena cautiously.

"Doesn't matter. What does matters is what's happening tomorrow. We're opening the tomb! Yay!" Elena cheers making the brothers laugh and Anna eyes go wide.

"Then why are you here? You don't need me." Anna says before realizing they have no reason to keep her alive. 

"Well you see, dear Anna. I recently lost my mother. Very tragic. So murdering your mother along with the rest of the tomb vamps, and delaying your reunion indefinitely, might weigh a little too heavy on my nonexistent conscious." She shrugs.

"That's it? That's why you're here? Because you feel bad for me?" She asks suspiciously.

"Eh, more or less. But, I am a Petrova. We're very selfish. So I'm gonna need something from you in return." She smirks.  
____________  
"Alright, boys. Welcome to my Batcave." Elena says lifting up the storage unit door and turning on the light.

"Holy shit, Ellie. What is all this?" Damon asks shocked looking around at all the weapons.

"Oh, you've found my toys. These are my favorite." Elena says picking up and spinning her twin karambits around her fingers.

"Can you really use all these?" Stefan asks picking up a crossbow.

"Hmm hm. I have been training since I was 8." She shrugs walking over to the cabinet at the back.

"Ellie, this might me the coolest thing about you." Damon says taking off the brass knuckles he put on.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, Ocean eyes." She winks turning back to the drawers.

"Ah ha! Found it." She says says turning around holding up Emily's talisman.

"El, why do you have all these freezers filled with blood bags?" Stefan asks making Damon walk over to him.

"I'm holding it for a friend." She shrugs, when they look at her with twin raised brows she rolls her eyes and continues,

"Relax, it's mine." She says simply.

"You understand that makes it SO much weirder, right?" Damon asks amused.

"To quote myself "some shit is going down." And I'll need my doppelblood when next season's big bad comes to town." She says smiling when they don't understand her reference.  
__________  
Infront of the old Fell's church Elena flanked by the Salvatore brother greets the two Bennet witches.

"Bon Bon. Grams." She says hugging them.

"Have you got it, dear?" Grams asks Elena causing her to hold up Emily's talisman.

"Yep." She drops it into the older witches hands.

"Elena." Anna greets cautiously walking towards them.

"Annakin. Did you do what I asked?" Elena asks with a raised brow.

"Yes. Ben's dead and I vervained, tied up, and handed Noah over to the Salvatore's uncle or I guess, nephew." She's says holding up her phone displaying a picture of the bartender's corpse.

"Perfect! Thank you, Anna. I know it couldn't have been easy. You and Noah have been friends since 1864." She says with fake sincerity shaking her head, Anna just walks away making Elena smirk and turn to the brothers.

"That was little cruel, Ellie." Damon reprimands teasingly.

"She's was planning to let her mother slurp down Remy like a go-gurt. Forgive me for my insensitivity. She's getting her mother back. That's as far as my courtesy extends." Elena shrugs following the witches under the church.

"Grams, just so we're clear, you're not gonna keep the tomb sealed are you?" Elena asks making grams smile.

"No, I know what they mean to you." She says softly nodding her head towards the brothers.

"Those jokers? Nah, I just keep 'em around for the view." Elena jokes winking at them making Bonnie laugh quietly.

"Air. Earth. Fire." Sheila lights the torches.

"Water." Bonnie hands her the bottle.

"Hey, Stef go get the gasoline." Elena whispers to him, watching the witches in fascination, he nods and walks up the stairs.

The witches channel the talisman changing the ritual slightly.

"Incredible." Elena breaths out when the door opens.

"The seal is lifted. I promise." Shelia assures Elena when she grabs Damon's hand stopping him from entering.

"You guys ready?" Stefan asks holding the can of gasoline.

"Yep." Elena digs into the bag on her shoulder containing blood bags and tosses one to Anna making her look to her with confusion.

"I know about your little Gilbert blood thing. I'm normally into biting but your mom's not really my type. Well, actually she is, but this doesn't seem like the appropriate setting." She smirks as Anna's mouth drops.

"El." Stefan says nudging her ribs with a smile.

"What? She's a total MILF." She says to him making Damon snort and Stefan groan.

Walking into the tomb Elena hear ominous whispering and laughs.

"Creepy." She sings making Stefan laugh.

"Let's start at the back. I'm looking for someone." She says pulling a confused Stefan behind her.

"Who? I thought we just wanted Pearl." 

"This guy named Harper. He's totally adorable and doesn't deserve to die. Not like the rest of these assholes." She says looking around at the desiccated vampires.

When Elena finds him she pulls out a blood bag and cuts it open putting it to his mouth, he immediately begins to drink it, his hands moving to bring it closer.

Stefan hands Elena the gas can and helps Harper stand.  
Elena starts at the back pouring the gasoline on the ground walking backwards.

On the other side of the tomb Damon realizes Katherine's not there and starts yelling.

"She's not here!" Elena and Stefan hear him and make their way to him.

Damon is still yelling and punching the wall. Exhausted, he slids down the wallk with his head in his hands.

Elena nods for Stefan to take Harper out of the tomb and tosses him the bag with the blood bags.

"She's not here. She was never here, Ellie." He whispers when she kneels infront of him taking his face in her hands.

"It's okay. You're gonna be okay. But we gotta go." She kisses the top of his head lightly, pulling him to his feet.

"She's not here." He whispers one last time as Elena nudges him towards Stefan, turning back to tomb pouring more gas.

Elena lights the match and watches the fire spread throughout the tomb.

"Your mother wants to stay in town, Anna." Elena says making Anna turn to her surprised.

"And she can. No interference from me or the Salvatores, as long as you do something for me." She says making Anna roll her eyes and Pearl put down the blood bag.

"What would you like for us to do?" Pearl rasps out.

"I need you to give Katherine a message for me. I know you can find her, Annakin." She says.

"What do you want me to say?" She asks reluctantly.

Elena looks over to the brothers seeing Damon's heartbroken face.

"Tell her, game on." She says with a smirk reminding the duo of Katherine and walks away towards the Salvatores.

"Come on. Let's go home." Elena grabs both their hands walking with them towards her car.  
________  
Once they get to the boarding house Elena immediately walks over to the bar and pours three drinks.

Damon silently drops down onto the couch and takes the drink Elena offers him.

Stefan sits down on the other side of the couch and Elena sits in between them handing Stefan his drink.

"Damon, I know you're going through something, but this is the longest you've ever gone without talking." Elena says making him turn to her.

"She wasn't there, Ellie. What more is there to say?" He asks rhetorically in a quiet tone.

"I don't know what to do. Okay? How do I fix this?" She asks standing up and pacing, making Stefan smile at her concern for his brother.

"I don't either." Damom says with heavy emotion in his voice making Elena whimper.

"Look, the emotions thing doesn't really come easily to me, but the caring about you thing does." She says making him look to her with sad eyes.

"So, tell me what to do and I'll do it. You want to lay in the road together and eat a stranger? Done. Wanna party with some compelled Kappa Kappa Gammas? I'm there. Make fun of Stef's hero hair? Already doing it." She says making Stefan say,

"Hey." And run a hand through his hair with furrowed brows, she sends him an apologetic smile.

Damon smiles a little a grabs her hand gently pulling her to his lap.

"His hair is stupid." He mutters childish into her shoulder making her laugh and Stefan roll his eyes with a smile.

"I knew she wasn't there." Damon says after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Elena and Stefan look to him confused.

"I believed you, Ellie. Honestly I think I believed you from the start. I trusted you more in that cemetery when we first met then I ever trusted her." He scoffs as Elena pulls him to her tighter.

"I have an idea!" She exclaims pushing Damon off her and jumping up.

"What?" Stefan asks her amused.

"New York! Let's go this weekend. And it's Halloween. This is perfect!" She says getting excited bouncing a little.

"El, are you sure? What about your aunt Jenna-" Damon interrupts him.

"Yes. Let's do it. Let's go to New York." He agrees making Elena squeal and bring them both into a hug.

"Oh my god! This is gonna be so much fun! I'm gonna go call my Care bear, she'll find the best hotel and bars and everything." Elena says walking towards the door only for Damon to grab her arm and pull her to him.

"Ellie, it's 2 a.m. I'm sure she's asleep. Come on, let's go to bed." He says pulling her to the stairs.

"Why, Mr. Salvatore. What kinda woman do you take me for?" She asks in a southern belle accent making the brothers laugh.

"The kind that's gonna cuddle me 'cause I'm sad." He says teasing pout making her laugh as they walk up the stairs.


	25. All Hallows' Eve Eve

“Why are we going to New York again?” Stefan asks falling on Elena’s bed with a groan. 

“Because, my dear Stefan, one of my best friends and your brother, who you wuv is in pain and we gotta be there for him.” Elena replies in a teasing tone while laying her clothes out to pack.

“I don’t see why we can’t be there for him here.” Stefan says helping Elena fold her clothes.

“Because he loves New York and he needs to feed from the vein, which he can’t do here. This also gives us a chance to test a theory of mine.”

“Which is?” He asks.

“I think if you let go of all your guilt, you’d be able to feed properly.” She says making his eyes go wide.

“What? No way, El. I don’t want to kill anyone.” Stefan says shaking his head.

“And you won’t. I’ll be there every step of the way. Look, we’ll get drunk, cry, and tell awesome stories, you know, bond. Then will go from there.” She assures placing her hands on his shoulders.

At his scared and conflicted expression Elena continues,

“Hey, I’m not gonna force you to do anything. If we get there and you don’t want to, that’s completely fine. I just want you to be happy with yourself.” She says with a shrug making Stefan smile and bring her into a hug.

______

“Blessèd All Hallows’ Eve eve, my Darlings.” Elena says sitting down at the outdoor table occupied by the entire Scooby Gang.

“Hey, El. Jer.” Matt greets with a nod as they all say hello.

“You all packed, Ellie?” Caroline asks.

“Yep. This afternoon me and the delicious Salvatore brothers set off to the big city for wine, woman, and song.” She says dreamily making the group laugh.

“How’s Damon?” Bonnie asks.

“Heartbroken. But not as bad as last time, I guess.” She shrugs as they nod.

“Well, tell him if he needs anything, we’re here for him.” Caroline says like the sweetheart that she is.

“Yes, and by anything, we mean anything.” Vicki assures with a smirk emphasizing the last word making the boys groan and the girls laugh.

________

Elena hears a car horn and runs out the door with her bags, already having said her goodbyes.

Outside Stefan meets her and carries her bags to the car while she jumps over the door landing in the back seat.

“How you doing, Day?” Elena asks leaning over the seat as Stefan gets in the car.

“Good, actually. Better if you’d get your shoes off the leather.” He says gesturing to the way she sitting.

“Sure thing. Love the car by the way, it just screams 'my dad never loved me.' ” She teases sitting back and taking off her boots, making Stefan laugh and Damon bring a hand to his heart in mock betrayal.

“Must you bring up all my emotional trauma? I’m mourning a lost love, Ellie. Have some compassion.” He scolds.

“I would never steal Stefan’s thing.” She says offended leaning forward and kissing Stefan’s cheek making him smile and Damon roll his eyes.

_________

Hopping out of Damon’s car Elena looks at the hotel in awe.

“Holy shit! This place is the tits!” She exclaims making the brothers laugh as they get out of the car.

“I agree. Your Barbie done good.” Damon says throwing arm around her shoulder as Stefan gets the bags.

After checking into - compelling - their room Elena falls on one of the beds with an exhausted groan.

“Alright, Salvatores. What’s the game plan?” She asks sitting up as they fall down next to her.

“This was your idea, I’m just along for the ride.” Damon says.

“And I’m just here to make sure he doesn’t kill too many people.” Stefan says pointing at Damon causing him too shrug and Elena laugh.

“Well then, since I’m in charge, let’s get dress and go grab dinner.” She says standing up as they nod.

________

“Man, I do not know how vegans do it. I mean, I respect them. But, goddamn.” Elena says taking a seat at the bar reminiscing about the very rare steak she devoured.

“Ellie, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so small eat so much.” Damon says sitting down with the shocked face he’s had since they left the restaurant.

“I figured, I’m only gonna have this body for so long, might as well enjoy it.” She shrugs.

“Yes, but biologically you shouldn’t have that body. You’ve drank at least one milkshake a day since I’ve met you.” Damon argues as Stefan sits quietly looking around.

“It’s all Amara, baby. We’ve got the gods to thank for our hot ass bods. Amara and Silas ate leaves and berries so we can look this good.” Elena says tapping a distracted Stefan’s shoulder.

“Huh?” Stefan ask when she gets his attention.

“I was just bragging about how hot we are. Where’s your head at?” She ask him confused.

“Do you really think it’s because of the guilt?” Stefan asks her making Damon turn to them confused.

“Definitely. Why? Do you want to to try feeding?” She asks causing Damon to choke on his drink.

“Uh, Ellie. You are aware of ripper Stefan, correct?”

“Yes, Ocean Eyes. But I think he only gets like that because of all the guilt he feels.” She says.

“And? What, suddenly he doesn’t feel guilty anymore?” Damon ask amusement covering his curiosity.

“Of course he does, it’s Stefan. But most of his guilt comes from making you turn. And you guys worked that out, right?” She asked and they both nod with a small smile.

“So what else is there? Here.” She says grabbing a napkin and the pen from the bartenders shirt pocket.

“Let’s see, hooking out with Kat even though you knew Damon loved her too?” She asks them writing it down.

“Check” Damon says confirming they already made peace.

“Thinking he could trust your dad and getting her ‘killed’?”

“Check.” Stefan says.

“Killing your father?”

“Check.” 

“Who cares?” Stefan and Damon says at the same time making Elena smile in amusement.

“Forcing you to complete the transition?” 

“Check.” Damon says looking to his brother.

“From then on it’s just ripper binges. So theoretically, if you could forgive yourself for killing all those people, then your golden.” She says clicking the pen and turning to him.

“How exactly do I do that?” Stefan asks making Elena turn to Damon.

“How do you do it? You’ve killed tons of people, even with your humanity.” Elena asks.

“Like Ellie said at the diner. Top of the food chain. They’re our food, Stef. You don’t see her all teary eyed for the cow she just ate.” He says gesturing to Elena.

“As much as I enjoy you comparing humans to livestock, I think it’s different.” Elena says.

“How?” Damon scoffs out.

“Humans have been conditioned to accept it. Since we were kids, we were taught that that’s just what you do. If everyone in the world is doing something horrible, but don’t think so, is it really so bad?” She asks never having thought about it before.

“So do that.” Damon says gesturing to Elena with his glass.

“What?” Stefan asks still confused.

“Accept it. Come to terms with the fact that humans are your food. You don’t feel guilty about feeding on them, you feel guilt about killing them, which makes you kill them because you feel guilty, which makes you kill some more. It’s a vicious cycle.” Elena says.

“Just like that?” Stefan asks disbelieving.

“No, babe. It might take more than one conversation to change your entire thinking. Let’s just hang out, okay? Don’t worry so much. Remember? This is the first time to act like a real modern teenager. And we modern teens like to bury all our emotions under layers of false tranquility. And booze.” She finishes taking Damon’s drink and draining it.

“Right here mister barkeep.” She hits the bar with her hand making the bartender turn to her with a brow raised in amusement.

“9 shots of your finest bourbon. And one of your fruitiest cocktails, por favor.” She says making the brothers laugh and the bartender ask for her ID.

When Damon goes to compel him she puts a hand on his should with a mischievous smirk reaching into her bag.

“Katherine Pierce? 23, huh.” The bartender says turning around to get their drinks.

“Seriously?” The older Salvatore asks incredulous throwing her into a fit of giggles.

_______

“Christ, Ellie. Who the hell taught you to drink like this?” Damon asks her through a laugh as she slams back her ninth shot.

“Dude, I’ve been ‘drinking like this’ since I was 13.” She says.

“No way.” Damon replies shaking his head.

“It’s true! Everyone thinks raising your kids is a small town will be good, but in reality we’re so bored we just start partying early.”

“Seriously?” Stefan asks.

“Yep. Small town kids are wild as fuck.” She says sipping her cocktail.

___________

“Is this what we’re gonna do? Drink? I mean, I’m not opposed, I just thought you’d come of with something crazy.” Damon states a little spaced.

“Tomorrow’s Halloween and I didn’t want your emotions to get in the way of my favorite holiday so, tonight we drink, tomorrow we party.” She raises her glass.

“Hear, hear!” Stefan exclaims way to loudly, in his drunken state.

“Honestly, Stef. Ellie’s had more than you. Tighten up.” Damon reprimands his brother in an amused tone.

__________

“What do you think would have happened if Katherine never came to town?” Stefan asks out of the blue surprising the rest of the trio.

“I would’ve died on the battlefield as some nameless soldier, fighting for something I didn’t even believe in.” Damon punctuates by taking a shot.

“Right. You were in the confederacy. Gross.” Elena says with a disgusted face.

“I didn’t believe in it. I just wanted to make my dad proud.”

“Still gross.” She says making him shrug.

“Do you think I would’ve gotten married or had kids?” Stefan asks off in his own world.

“If your friend knew something that they should probably tell you, but don’t want to, because it would only cause you pain. Would you want to know?” Elena asks them way less subtle than she planned, thinking about Lillian and Valerie.

“You’re very clearly talking about yourself. What do you know?” Damon asks her.

“Just answer the question” she says.

“Umm, sure. Wait, no. Maybe.” Stefan says making the others laugh at his drunk state.

________

“I want to do it!” Stefan states loudly slamming his glass down.

“On the bar?” Elena ask with a raised brow.

“He means feed, you pervert.” Damon laughs out.

“Okay. Take your pick.” Elena says gesturing to the bar patrons.

As Stefan stand is to find his ‘prey’ Elena notices Damons sorrowful expression.

“Woah. What’s going on up here?” Elena asks tapping his temple lightly.

“Did she ever love me?” He asks her making her rub his back gently.

“That’s wasn’t rhetorical. In the other timeline did she ever explain why she did what she did?”

“Yes, but I don’t think it will make you feel better.”

“I know what will though.” She says after a few moments of contemplation cause him to raise a brow.

“More bourbon.” She says calling the bartender over.

_________

“I’M A VAMPIRE!!!” A very intoxicated Stefan yelled getting the trio kicked out of the bar.

“Why did they kick us out? Is it because I’m a vampire?” Stefan asks sadly grabbing Elena’s hand.

“I think so. Prejudice bastards!” Elena yells at the building making Damon laugh and pull her away.

“Come on, I know a better place.” Damon says.  
________

"Does it hurt to be around me 'cause I look like her?" Elena asks curiously.

"No, you're too different. You don't have to stay away or anything." He says hoping she won't.

"Oh, I wasn't gonna stay away. I was just wondering." She says with shrug trying to hide a smirk.

"You're an asshole." Damon says with a laugh.

"I know." Elena replies with smile.  
_______

“You know honestly, I don’t even care that much. So what if she faked her death? It happens.” Damon says doing a shot making Elena nod her head.

“I know! I mean sure, she was smokin’ hot, dangerous, mysterious, and made you see the world differently.... What was I saying?” Elena asks after spacing out.  
________

Percy Sledges ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ plays as Damon takes a swig from the bottle of bourbon he’s hugging.

“Why did she do it, Ellie? I would’ve done anything for her.” He says laying his head on Elenas shoulder.

“I know, buddy. She doesn’t deserve you.” Elena comforts him.

“I mean, what more could I do? I gave her my whole heart. I died for her. I let her sleep with my little brother.” Damon says turning to Ellie.

“I don’t have any more brothers, Ellie!” He cries out, dramatically dropping his head to the bar.

It was right about here where Ellie blacked out.

_______

To Be Continue...


	26. All Hallows' Eve

Elena wakes up in between the brothers with a painful groan.

“Oh, my god. Kill me. God, please kill me.” Elena moans.

“Shut the fuck up, El.” Stefans groans covering his head with a pillow.

“Whoa, little harsh there, brother.” Damon mock scolds Stefan reaching for the leftover ‘blood cocktail’ on the side table.

“You too. I swear to god, I’ll kill you.” Stefan says trying to sit up.

“Am I dead? Is this hell? Why is Stefan here?” Elena mutters crying a little.

“Up and at ‘em, kids.” Damon says opening the hotel curtains letting the very bright sun.

“Oh, dear god! Stefan, rip is head off! Don’t you love that?” Elena dives under the bed.

“I knew there was a reason I always hated you!” Stefan yells running into the bathroom and slamming the door.

“Why is he hungover?” Elena asks putting on a pair of sunglasses she found on the floor.

“Because he has the tolerance of a potato or a high school girl.” Damon adds with a smirk looking her over.

“Fuck you, Damon. I was fine ‘till you grabbed the tequila. Who the hell mixes tequila and bourbon?”

“Here, this will help.” He says handing her a glass of bourbon.

“Mix a little of that vamp juice in there and will talk.” She says and he bites his hand letting some blood drip into the glass.

“Also, Stefan’s not just hungover on alcohol, but blood. Our little boy's finally a man.” Damon says throwing an arm over her shoulder.

“They grow up so fast.” Elena plays along with a sigh feeling a lot better.

“Is that my blood?” Elena asks noticing his drink.

“Yep.” He shrugs as Elena checks herself over.

“Why do I have a cut on my elbow?” She asks lifting her arm to look at it.

“Because you said if you squeeze your arm like this your ‘juice’ would come out faster.” He says squeezing her arm together.

“Huh. Did it work?” She asks staring at her elbow curiously.

“I mean, kinda.” He lifts his glass with an impressed expression.  
________

“Let’s do a group costume!” Stefan exclaims running around the Halloween shop like a hyperactive 10 year old.

“Sure thing, I just need to find a costume with a mask.” Elena says with an amused smile at the younger Salvatore’s antics.

Perusing the isles of costumes Elena turns to Damon with a smile and tilts her head towards Stefan, who’s currently bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting patiently for Elena to look around.

“I thought he’d calm down after eating breakfast but he seems to have gotten worse.” She says making Damon nod his head in agreement.

“When do you think he’ll come down?” She asks.

“I have not clue. This is the first time I’ve seen him feed without going all ‘Rahh Grrrr.’ It’s honestly kinda weird.” Damon adds after imitating a growl with his hands in claws.

“Let’s just go with it, I guess.” Elena shrugs turning back to the costumes.

“I fed, you guys! I fed, without ripping someone’s head off and I didn’t feel the need to kill anyone this morning, besides Damon. But that’s normal. I don’t have to eat dear anymore. I hate dear.” Stefan rambles making Elena and Damon look at each other with a smirk.

“And we are so proud of you! But if you do rip someone’s head off, we wont hold it against you.” Elena says making Stefan lift her into a hug and spin.

“I know! Which is why I didn’t kill anyone. There was no pressure, and it felt amazing!” He exclaims setting down a laughing Ellie.

“This could be good. Oh look, Catwoman and Poison Ivy both have masks.” Elena says as they walk into the superhero isle.

“Oh this is perfect! I’ll be Ivy and you guys be Batman and Robin.” She says trying to keep a straight face at Damon’d disbelieving expression.

“I call Batman!” Stefan yells grabbing the black costume.

“No way in hell am I dressing in tights. Especially not red ones.” Damon says snatching the costume out her hands and throwing it back on the rack.

“Okay, well it’s either Robin or Bane. Your choice.” She says holding up the two costumes.

“Fine. Bane it is. Why are you Poison Ivy instead of Catwoman or Supergirl?” Damon asks.

“Because Catwoman isn’t nearly evil enough and Supergirl is not my style.” She says holding up the red skirt.

“Plus Poison Ivy is totally hot and she banged Harley Quinn.” Elena adds after a moment.

“True.” Damon agreed.

“Why do you need a mask?” Stefan asks.

“This face is a hot commodity, Stef. And New York used to be Kitty Kat’s stopping ground. That chick has tons of enemies of the attack first ask questions never variety.” Elena shrugs.

“Why didn’t you say anything before? Wait. Do you know where she is right now?” Damon asks.

“Because I like my heart where it is, thank you very much.” She replies causing Damon to scoff.

“I would never hurt you.” He rolls his eyes.

“This Damon wouldn’t, but the emotionless, Katherine obsessed Damon from a few months ago would have.”

“I wouldn’t have and stop avoiding the question. Do you know where she is?”

“Yes, but I’m not gonna tell you.” She says sternly.

“Why not?” He asks childishly.

“Because you’re over it. That’s what last night was about.” She says like it’s obvious.

“Fine.” He concedes.  
_______

“We look awesome.” Elena says after applying the last of her green makeup.

“I’m Batman.” Stefan says in a gravelly tone flapping his cape making Damon roll his eyes.

“You merely adopted the dark, I was born- you get it.” Damon gives up on the impression making Elena laugh.

“Alright, I’m ready. let’s go.” she says grabbing her bag.  
_______

The music drums through the warehouse filled with costumed bodies.

“God, I love this city.” Elena says with a smirk adjusting her green masks, as they walk into the club.

“This is alright, but nothing will beat a 80’s mosh pit.” Damon says putting his arm around Ellie walking her to the bar.

“6 shots of vodka, please.” Elena says, the bartender nods and turns around.

The bartender brings the shots and they take 2 each.

“Come on, let’s dance.” Elena says dragging them to the dance floor.  
______

Elena is lost in the music when the pretty girl in a nurses costume she's dancing with turns her around.

“Feel like rolling down the hill? She asks while holding up a small baggy with jack-o-lantern shaped tablets.

“Only if your administering.” Elena flirts making the girl grin and open her mouth, placing a tablet on her tongue.

Elena smirks and brings her into a kiss, transferring the pill to her own mouth.  
______

Walking towards the bar Elena finds the brothers and pulls them into a hug.

“Hi guys.” She says softly, rubbing Stefan’s arm making him raise a brow.

“Hi, you good Ellie?” Damon asks in an amused tone causing her to release a relaxed breath.

“I don’t think I have ever felt better.” She says holding up the same small plastic baggy.

“What is that?” Stefan asks.

“Molly.” Elena says a little to loudly.

“Where’d you get it?” Damon asks with a laugh, shaking his head.

“From the slutty nurse.” Elena points in the girl’s general direction.

“Why’d she give them to you?” Stefan asks confused, taking the bag from her hand.

“I don’t finger bang and tell.” Elena mock whispers earning a snort and a laugh from Damon.

“You gonna take it or not?” She asks Stefan who’s looking at the pill curiously.

“It won’t make me do anything crazy right?”

“No, it’s basically just artificial serotonin.” Elena shrugs.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Damon says with a smirk, taking a pill from Stefan and swallowing it.

“Alright, but if anything happens, you can’t hold it against me.” Stefan says taking the pill.  
_______

Dancing between two people, Elena reaches behind her and runs her hand through the short hair of the person behind her. While the girl in front of her runs her hand along Elena’s neck.

As the girl is pulled away, Elena hears a very familiar voice.

“You’re quite the dancer, love. Care to join me for a drink?” An amused Klaus Mikaelson says from behind her making Elena’s breathing halt.

Whelp. There goes that high.

“Totally, but I’ve got to go to the restroom first.” Elena says deepening her voice and all but sprinting away from him.

Elena power walks through the club looking for the brothers muttering under her breath.

“Shit. Shit. Fuck. Shit.”

Elena spots Damon and runs over to him and claps her hands in front of his, and the girl he’s attached to's face.

“Code red, Damon. Code mothafucking red!” She whisper shouts.

Damon apologizes to the girl as Elena drags him away, looking for Stefan.

“Hey, guys!” Stefan greets pleasantly with blood on his mouth, pulling away from the neck of a guy dressed like a vampire.

“Isn’t his costume rude? I think it’s rude. I don’t look like that.” He sneers at the compelled or intoxicated man.

“Stef, no time. We gotta go.” Elena says pulling him away.

“It’s derogatory, is all I’m saying.” Stefan defends.

“Ellie, what’s wrong?” Damon asks noticing the way she keeps looking over her shoulder.

Suddenly, Elena’s eyes go wide when she spots the costumeless, soon to be hybrid and pushes the brothers into a hidden corner.

“El, what are-” Elena cuts him off.

“Stefan, I swear to god if you don’t shut the fuck up, I will shove a bouquet of vervain so far up your ass it’ll give you a sore throat!” The brothers eyes widen at the very graphic and very serious description.

Elena peeks around the corner and releases a breath.

“Okay, let’s go.” She pulls them out of the club.  
________

Once Elena found a diner she plopped down in a booth with a groan and dropped her head on the table.

“Ugh, this sucks.” She said with her head still face down.

“You gonna tell us what happened now?” Damon asks gently lift her head.

“You remember how I said this face is a hot commodity? Yeah? Well I just grinded on the reason why.” She says with another groan, hitting the table with her head.

“I’ll get the milkshakes.” Stefan says with a sigh standing up and walking to the counter.

“And fries, please.” Elena mumbles making the brothers smile at each other.

After Stefan walks back with the milkshakes Elena grabs one and immediately drink half.

“Aright, start from the beginning.” Stefan says.

“Okay, 2000 years ago-“ Damon interrupts.

“Maybe not that far back.” He says with a grimace making her smile.

“Who was it you saw in the club?” He asks.

“Klaus Mikaelson.”

“And who’s he?” Stefan asks.

“The original hybrid.”

“What now?” Damon asks confused

“Okay, you know the myth about the original vampires, the first vampires to ever walk the earth?” She asks making them nod.

“Well he’s the fourth oldest.”

“You said hybrid.” Stefan says.

“You’re not gonna understand unless I tell you the whole story.”

“Okay. Start with him.” Damon says.

“1000 years ago-“ Damon interrupts again.

“Oh my god.” He mutters making Elena roll her eyes at him.

“There was this Viking family who lost a child so they moved from Europe to, what is now, Mystic Falls. They then had a bunch more kids, then the youngest died, so the mother, who’s a witch by the way, turned her kids and husband into the first vampires. But when they woke up they were hella blood thirsty and drained a bunch’a bitches. When the middle child, which does not surprise me, killed a someone, his bones started breaking and his eyes turned yellow. Spoiler alert! Mumsies was a huge hoe, and had, had and affair with one of the local werewolves, yes werewolves exist. Surprise! Anyway, thus the original hybrid! The witch bitch cursed her own kid and locked away his wolf using doppelblood. So Niklaus, his full name, has been looking for doppelgängers for a 1000 years. He caught one about 500 under years ago but she got away. Yes, your looks of realization are necessary. He’s the reason Katherine, who used to be Katerina, faked her death in 1864.” Elena takes a deep breath as the Salvatores process what she just told them.

“Sorry if I was all over the place, I’m still pretty loaded.” She says slurping her milkshake.

“Okay, so because we are magical beings we can be used in spells?” Stefan asks making Elena nod her head.

“You stored your blood for him, doesn't that mean you're planning on meeting him anyway? Why’d you run?” Damon asks.

“Excellent question, Ocean Eyes. I have a plan. Bumping into him on the dance floor of a trashy warehouse party in New York on Halloween, is not in that plan. I still need Rose and Trevor to contact Eli, then convince him to give up his revenge plan, then I need to set a wolf trap, then we can contact klaus. I can’t risk anything. As much as I adore him, he will kill you all the minute he thinks I'm playing him.” She explains.

“He sounds delightful.” Damon says sarcastically.

“Stefan thought so. They were in love in the 20’s.” Elena says causing Stefan to choke on his milkshake.

“What? I don’t even know him.” He says.

“Kidding. God, I wish. You were banging his sister. Klaus compelled you to forget them so papa OG wouldn’t kill you.” Elena says.

“What do you mean compelled?” Damon asks.

“Originals can compel other vampires, which means you need to start drinking vervain. You’ll also build up a tolerance, just in case someone tries to hurt you.” She tells them.

“But, the real question we need to be asking is if Klaus knows it was me.” Elena says with a thoughtful expression.

“Because if he knew I was a doppelgänger, he could have been playing the long game. And he if didn’t notice, he’s the world worst super villain. Either way, we need to get the hell out of this city.” She says.

“I doubt he knows, he wouldn’t have let you out of his sight, right?” Damon asks.

“I guess. Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that if he didn’t know it was me, he definitely wanted to fuck me. Or drain me. Honestly, I’d be into either. So hot.” Elena says with a sigh making the brother roll their eyes, smiling, knowing she's back to normal.

“Come on, El. Let’s go home.” Stefan says staying up and taking her hand.


	27. Sexy Lexi

Sitting in front of the TV playing on the Playstation Ellie got him, Stefan hears a strange sound.

Pausing the game, Stefan stands up and walks through the room.

"Damon?" He asks cautiously.

"Are you messing with me? I hate it when you do this." He mutters the last part quickly turning around when he sees something out of the corner of his eye.

"Ellie? I'm not scared." He adds taking notice of his scared tone.

Turning around, Stefan is knocked down, landing on his stomach. He quickly flips himself over and someone pounces on him, vampire visage on full display.

"Lexi?" Stefan asks confused interrupting the vampire's hissing.

"Hi." She replies with a cute smile pulling away from him.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asks surprised with a smile as she pulls him to his feet.

"How could you even asks that?" She asks as he pulls her into a hug.

"I missed you." He says into her hair.

"Happy birthday." She says after pulling away.  
_____

"So, Katherine's alive?" Lexi asks confused, remembering Stefan telling her about the vampire.

"Yep." Stefan shrugs.

"Wow. And this, Ellie, knows the future?"

"Hmm hm. Well, kind of. She knows a version of the future that would have happened if she didn't interfere." Stefan explains.

"Makes sense. Anyway, what are we doing for your birthday?" Lexi says changing the subject.

"I don't know. I think Damon is planning something. He's been sneaking off with Caroline, the resident party planner."

"That is… so weird. Damon party planning?" She asks with a confused tone.

"I know, I know. But, he's really different. He forgave me and goes out of his way to spend time with me. I feel like I got my brother back." Stefan says with a smile making her smile back at him.

"I'm really happy, you're happy. Let's just hope it lasts." She tells him cautiously.

"I'm telling you, it's different this time. He's not pushing me to hurt people or making secret plans." Stefan defends his brother, Lexi sighs.

"I'll believe when I see it." She says.

"You will. I'm glad you're here, Lex." Stefan says hugging her again.  
_____

"Well, isn't this a surprise." Damon says in a teasing tone walking into the room with Stefan and Lexi.

"Hello, Lexi." Damon greets with his usual cockiness.

"Damon." She nods.

"As much as I'd like to, I'm not gonna flatter myself and believe you're here to see me. So you must be here for Stef's big day." Damon says patting Stefan's shoulder.

"Obviously." She says stiffly.

"What's with hostility? Didn't Stefan tell you? I'm one of the good guys now." He says mockingly with a playful smile as Stefan rolls his eyes.

"He did. Congratulations on no longer being a dick… oh wait." She says making Stefan laugh.

"That hurts, Lex." He says bringing a hand to his heart.

"I just came to tell Stefan about a party Ellie's Care Bear is planning for him." Damon informs them.

"Called it!" Stefan shouts cause Lexi to raise an amused brow.

"You only have a few hours until the party, go get ready." Damon tells Stefan nodding his head towards the bathroom.

"Fine. Play nice." Stefan tells then walking out of the room.

"Is this real?" Lexi asks bluntly.

"So you're feeling it too. I always knew you were the one." Damon says sitting down next to her.

"Ugh! Gross. You know that's not what I meant. Are you really back to being Stefan's brother?"

"I was always his brother. A brother who made it their mission to make his life miserable, but a brother nonetheless." Damon says teasingly.

"Guess that's my answer, goodbye, Damon." Lexi says standing up and Damon pulls her back down.

"Okay, okay. Yes, we made up. We're doing really well. And I, uh. I wanted to apologize." Damon says startling Lexi.

"What?"

"In the 70's. I was a dick. What I did wasn't cool and I'm sorry." He says honestly.

"Who the hell are you and where is Damon Salvatore?" She asks only half joking and looking at him intently.

"I know. I've gone soft. Blame Ellie. Anyway, I've got to get going. Who knew party planning could be so time consuming." Damon says with his smirk back in place, standing up.

"Thank you, Damon." Lexi says softly and he nods his head, leaving the room.  
_____

"Yo, Steffy!" Elena calls out barging into the boarding house.

"I knew there was a reason I've always called you Sexy Lexi." Elena says tilting her head checking out Lexi's legs.

Standing in only a towel, Lexi stares at who she believes to be Katherine in shock.

"Katherine?" She asks.

"Oh, I see Stef forgot to mention my doppelhood. I'm Ellie. Not Kitty Kat. You can distinguish me by my nose piercing and lack of survival instincts. It's nice to meet you." Elena tells her with a smile, holding out her hand.

"I'm sorry. You look just like her." Lexi says still staring.

"I know. Freaky right?" She asks with teasing smile.

"El!" Stefan exclaims rushing down the stairs and lifting her into a hug.

"Hello to you too, Birthday boy!" She says with a laugh, kissing both his cheeks.

"What'd you come by for?" He asks setting her down.

"Well, I came to officially invite to your B-day bash, but I found something better to do with my time." Elena says tilting her head, checking lexi out again. Stefan rolls his eyes and Lexi laughs.

"She has a boyfriend." He scolds lightly as Lexi smirks.

"What? That means I can't look?" Elena asks mock scandalized making Stefan smile at her fondly.

"Kidding. I wanted to meet her."

"Now that I've done that, I should get back to the grill before Care drags be out of here by my hair." Elena says hugging Stefan goodbye and waving to Lexi.

"Almost forgot, Happy Birthday!" She says turning around and launching herself at him knocking him to the floor.  
_____

"Ugh! This venue does nothing for my vision!" Caroline says with a frustrated groan making Elena smile.

"We're at the grill, Care. I think calling it a venue is a bit of a stretch." She says as Caroline rolls her eyes.

"Ellie, I love you. I do. But this my area of expertise. Okay? This is the first party I get to plan this semester and it needs to me memorable! I'm Caroline Forbes! I have a reputation to uphold." She rants making Elena shake her head with a laugh.

"You're completely right, Care Bear. Tell me where you need me. No more questions." 

"Good. I need you to do your charm thing with the band. They don't want us to play music from my mix in between their sets. I mean, come on. Who do they think they are? They go to the same school as us." She rambles again.

"I'm all over it. Or them. Damn." Elena adds looking over the band.

"Hi. I'm, Ellie. My friend over there mentioned something about not being able to work the CD player? I'm happy to help." Elena says, walking over to them, with her doe eyes and innocent smile on full display.

"Oh, uh. It's not- we can-" the cute drummer stutters out with red cheeks.

"Oh, it's fine. I can help if you'd like." She says leaning forward a bit.

"We just thought people should focus on the live music, not some CD." The lead guitarist says with a scoff. Elena resists the urge to roll her eyes and let's out a small bell like laugh.

"Of course. I totally understand. It's just that, well this is the first time she's letting me help and I really don't want to disappoint her." Elena says softly, looking over her shoulder at Caroline who's yelling at the boys she forced to help her set up.

"I don't think it's that big of a deal. We can help you out." The singer says, lightly placing a hand on her arm. Elena glances at his hand and suppresses a grimace.

"Omg! Thank you. Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me!" She says jumping up and down and brings the musicians into a group hug.

"God, boys are so easy." Elena says after walking back to Caroline.

"I don't know how you do that. But I'm very grateful for your powers." Caroline says.

"It's all about making yourself as weak as possible. It's in their code to want to protect what they perceive to be weaker than them, I simply manipulate that instinct." Elena shrugs with a smirk.  
_____

Sitting in the living room Lexi pulls out a red case filled with blood bags.

Stabbing a straw into the bag and taking a sip she sits back with a satisfied sigh.

"Want some?" She asks noticing the way he's watching her.

"Sure." He answers with a smirk making her jaw drop.

"I was kidding. Are you serious? Did Damon make you?" She rushes out question standing up and walking towards him.

"No, Lex. Calm down. It was El. She helped me. When we went to New York a few days ago, I fed for the first time without giving into the urge to kill. I've been drinking from blood bags everyday since." He says with a smile.

"How? I've known you for well over hundred years and you've never had control when your feeding." She says confused.

"It was the guilt. Apparently, I felt so guilty for killing my dad and making Damon turn, when I fed it was the only time to stop thinking and I always gave into my primal urges. I don't do that anymore. I'm in complete control now." He explains with a smile.

"Wow. That's great. I'm so happy for you. How do you feel? I know you don't like hurting people even if you don't kill them. How are you coping?" She asks concerned. 

"Damon. He told me how he's able to feed without feeling guilty." He shugs.

"I'm proud of you, Stef. I'm sorry I wasn't able to figure out the guilt thing before. Maybe you wouldn't have had so many binges." She says feeling slightly guilty.

"It wasn't, isn't your job, Lexi. But thank you for always being there for me. I just hope you never have to be there for ripper me again."

"Come on, let's get to this party, if we're late I'm pretty sure Caroline with stake us." Stefan says dragging Lexi out of the boarding house.  
_____

"Hey, guys!" Elena exclaims throwing her arms around the vampires when they arrive at the party.

"Hey, El. This is… wow." He says looking around at all the people.

"Yep." She says with a smirk.

"Happy Birthday, Stefan!" Caroline says bringing him into a hug.

"Thank you, Caroline. This is great, you did amazing." Stefan says making her smile.

"Thank you, I agree. It's some of my best work." Caroline says looking around the grill making Elena smile at the girls confidence.

"Hey, I have a surprise. Follow me." Elena says grabbing Lexi and Stefan's hands and pulling them out the door.

While leading them across the street Stefan and Lexi hear Bon Jovi and look to each other confused.

"El, what is this?" Stefan asks looking around the gazebo lit with fairy lights, in awe.

"Classic misdirect, Stef. You didn't even see it coming." She smirks.

"Why-" Elena interrupts Lexi.

"Crowds aren't really his thing. I'm sure he'd rather spend his birthday hanging with you." Elena shrugs.

"This is perfect. Thank you." Stefan whispers in her ear after pulling her into a hug.

"No sweat, Stefano. You guys have fun." She says waving at them.  
______

"Ellie." Damon jumps out at her making her punch him.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" He says hold his nose and glaring at her.

"Dude. What is your problem? Can you not greet me like a normal person or has years of being creepy completely warped your brain?" She says shaking her hand.

"Sorry. Damn. I was just gonna tell you that the deputies are roaming around and Noah's corpse is in my trunk. Let's do this." He says grabbing her hand and dragging her into the back alley.

"Ah, fond memories associated with this alley." Elena says with a mock nostalgic sigh making Damon smile at her.

"Alright, wait here. I'm gonna get Noah." Damon says walking away from here.  
_____

"I can't believe Ellie did all this!" Lexi exclaims looking around.

"I can. She does this all the time for her friends." Stefan says with fond smile.

"Although, I'm sure she conned one of the guys into doing all the work." He shrugs making Lexi laugh.

"She seems pretty great."

"She is. She's just, crazy and weird. And so random. Lately she's been making me 'act my bio age', as she puts it. I'm on the football team and I go to keggers with cheerleaders. It's crazy. She makes me want to act like a 17 year old." He says wistfully.

"Oh my god! You're in love with her." Lexi accuses making Stefan laugh.

"No. No, Uh, it's more than that. When I'm with El I feel like I can just be me, no matter what that implies, she's immediately on board."

"Well, whatever she is to you, I'm glad you've got someone to be here for you when I'm not." She tells him not totally convinced of his lack of feelings.

"Me too." He says with a smile.  
_____

"Okay. He's staked and I put some blood on his mouth. The rest is up to you. You sure you can cry on demand?" Damon asks walking towards her.

"Totally, I'm fucking crazy. All you got to do is bite me." She says tilting her head.

"Are you sure? We could just say he was going to bite you." 

"No, you wouldn't have been able to stake him without an adrenaline rush and I doubt just seeing some perv in an alley would do it. We need to sell this. The council can't find out about you guys. This will work. Now, bite me." She says jokingly.

He nods and quickly bites into her neck as painlessly as possible.

"I was right, totally hot." She says with a smirk when he pulls away.

"Oh my god! You took my neck virginity." She says teasingly making him laugh.

"Alright, start crying. I'm gonna go find a deputy."

"Aye Aye, Captain." She nods as he backs away from her.

Elena stands there for a moment getting herself worked up. She thinks of her parents, the first and second set. When that doesn't quite get her there she thinks of something that never fails to make her cry, Klaus and Elijah sacrificing themselves. That did it. Here come the water works.

In the distance she hears foot steps running towards her and start breathing heavily and sobbing loudly.

"Oh my- are you okay?" The young deputy freaks out trying to calm her down as Damon hides a smile at her over dramatic acting.

"It hurts." She mumbles as the deputy radios Sheriff Forbes.

A few minutes later Liz shows up and immediately takes Elena into her arms.

"Elena, honey, I need you to breath. Okay? Can you tell me what happened?" She asks softly.

"I- I was walking into the grill when that guy grabbed and pulled me into the alley." She hiccups. Damn. She's killing this.

"He bit me. Why would he bite me. What kind of freak bites random girls?" She asks hysterically making Damon rolls his eyes.

"Then Damon came out of nowhere and pulled him off me. That weirdo tried to bite Damon too. Why is he covered in veins? What's going on Liz?" She sniffles.

"Drugs, Elena. We have been trying to keep it quiet but there has been a lot of new drug activity in town lately." Liz looks guilty lying to the girl she's watched grow up. Good.

"We need to get you to the hospital, you could be going into shock." Liz says.

"Can Damon take me?" She sniffles again.

"I don't mind, Liz. I'd really like to make sure she gets home safe." Damon says with false sincerity.

Liz agrees and Elena leaves with Damon. In the car Elena stops crying and looks over to him. They immediately start laughing and Elena high fives him.

"God! We are evil geniuses! You make one hell of a partner in crime." Elena says bouncing in her seat.

"No, all the credit goes to you. The dry heaving was a bit much, but that was fantastic! It's been an honor, Ellie." He says making her laugh.  
_____

"We're home!" Elena calls out as her and Damon walk through the front door.

"Hey, oh my god, El! What happened to your neck?" Stefan asks after rushing over to her.

"Damon bit me. He back to his evil, cannibalistic ways." She says as the brothers roll their eyes.

"Seriously. What happened?"

"It's no big deal. We got the town council to believe the vampire problem is solved. We just had to make it look realistic. Damon gonna heal me right now." She says making Damon walk over to the bar and grab a glass.

"Mmm. See, magic." She says after drinking the blood Damon spilled into the cup and pointing to her healing wound.

"Now, presents." She says digging through her bag.

"You didn't have to get me anything." He says as she sits him down next to Lexi.

"Well, it's less of a gift for you and more of a gift for us all." She says handing a small pouch to Lexi.

"Wh- what is this?" Lexi asks not wanting to get her hopes up.

"Daylight ring. Courtesy of Bon Bon's grams." Elena shrugs.

"It's really no big dea-" Lexi cuts her off my bringing her into a bone crushing hug.

"350 years. It's been 350 years since I've stood in the sun." Lexi says disbelievingly staring at the ring.

"I don't know how to replay you, Ellie." Lexi looks away from the ring to Elena.

"Consider it a thank you for taking care of Stefan all these years. Without you, I might never have met him." Elena shrugs a bit uncomfortable with the way Lexi staring at her like she's the messiah or something.

"And we can get one for your boy toy, provided he doesn't try to set anyone on fire." Elena says smiling at her own joke.

"What?" Lexi asks confused.

"Don't worry about it. Ellie has an annoying habit or making jokes only someone who knows the future could get." Damon says.

"But if you did get it, you'd know I killed it."


	28. Thinly Veiled Bordem

Thinly Veiled Bordem  
"What have you got so far?" Caroline asks.

"Bungie jumping, swim with dolphins, visit every continent, play with a baby panda." Elena answers as Caroline and Stefan look to her confused as they walk into the school.

"Play with a baby panda? Can you even do that?" Stefan asks.

"I can try. What else should I put on here?" Elena looks down to her notebook filled with bucket list ideas.

"Why exactly did you decide to make this list?" Caroline asks, noticing the signs of subtle distress in her friend.

"No reason. Anyway, rob a bank." Elena waves her off.

"No. You're not robbing a bank." Stefan states sternly.

"You're cute." Elena says simply, writing it down on her list.

"Buy a house." Caroline says deciding to humor her.

"No way. With as many compulsion wielding friends as I have, I should never have to pay for a single thing for the rest if my life." Elena replies making the other two smile at each other.

"No." Stefan says.

"Come on. Pleeeease. It wouldn't even be that hard. She already makes googly eyes at you every chance she gets. All you gotta do is flash that hot brooding look and she's putty." Elena pleads as they take their seats in history class.

"I'm not gonna seduce then dump Sarah Fell, you psycho." Stefan rolls his eyes as she pouts.

"Why not?" She whines.

"Because it's horrible."

"She is my nemesis, Stefano. Nothing is horrible."

"Find something else and shhh." He shushs her as a familiar face walks into the rooms

"Good morning everyone." Alaric Saltzman greets the calls as he makes his way the chalkboard.

Elena let's out a small squeal and turns to Stefan bouncing in her her seat as he sends her an amused and confused look.

"Alaric Saltzman. It's a mouthful. I know. Doesn't exactly roll of the tongue. Saltzman is of German origins. My family emigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now, the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. You'll probably want to pronounce it "Ala-ric," but it's "A-lar-ic," okay? So you can can call me Rick. I'm your new history teacher." Alaric finishes with a smile as Elena whispers to her self,

"Yeah, you are."

"Do not sleep with the teacher." Stefan whispers to her, misinterpreting her excitment.

"1.) I do what I want, 2.) gross, 3.) legally, he's my step dad." She whispers back to him making his eyes go wide.

"You think that's nuts? Wait till I tell you why he's here in Mystic Falls." She adds.

"DAMON KILLED YOUR MOTHER!!!!" Stefan shouts shocked, gaining the attention of the people around them.

"Shhhh!" Elena shushs him smiling and waving at the other grill patrons around them.

"I'm sorry, but oh my god! That's insane. Why are you friends with him?" Stefan ask making her laugh.

"His crazy matches my crazy." Elena shrugs

"And not killed, turned. Also not my mother, just the woman who gave birth to me." Elena says taking a sip of her milkshake.

"So that's why Mr. Saltzman is here? To avenge his wife." Stefan says making her nod her head as she steals his fries.

"Wow. That's just... wow."

"I know." She says.

"What are you gonna do? As much as you've tamed my brother, I'm willing to bet he'll kill this guy if he comes at him." Stefan says making Elena glare at him.

"I didn't tame him. I just asked him not to kill the locals."

"Are you gonna let him kill the teacher?" Stefan asks taking a sip of her milkshake.

"No! They're gonna have an epic bromance. Or, at least they did in the OG timeline. They're good for each other. Damon brings out Ric's wild side and makes him less boring, while Ric cosplays as the angel on Damon's shoulder."

"Then what are you gonna do, because I'm pretty sure Damon will kill him if they meet on their own."

"Hundred percent, that's why I'm gonna introduce them." Elena says standing up and leaving Stefan with the bill.

Elena stands in the doorway of classroom and knocks lightly on the door.

"Hi, Mr. Saltzman, do you have a minute?" She asks feigning shyness.

"Of course…" he trails off.

"Elena. Elena Gilbert. But everyone called me Ellie or El." She says walking into the classroom.

"Right. Elena Gilbert, you're in the last teacher's 'Jackass File." He says looking down at his desk and picking up the file.

"Which I find weird, because from what I can see you're at the top of not only this class, but all your classes. You also have a 4.5 GPA, you're co-captain of the cheer squad, best time on the track team, and debate captain." He says with a impressed expression.

"Mind telling me why you're in this file?" He asks with a raised brow.

"I was framed?" Elena says more like a question making him chuckle quietly.

"Okay. I have a bit of a mouth and I hate bullies. Tanner had a god complex and bad habit of picking on kids who were trying their best." Elena admits.

"Fair enough. I hope I never warrant your wrath. Why is it you wanted to speak with me?" He asks leaning back in his chair as Elena takes a seat on the edge of his desk.

"All righty. This is gonna sound insane and it's completely understandable if you have a meltdown, but I need you to just listen to me." She says making him lean forward with furrowed brows.

"I was adopted by my parents Greyson and Miranda Gilbert. The night I was born a teenage girl walked into my dad's medical office in labor. As it turns out, she was sent their by her baby daddy and my paternal uncle, John Gilbert a.k.a my bio dad. After the girl gave birth she ditched me with the Gilberts and ran. She moved on with her life, got married, became a professor, but a few years ago she went missing. I know what happened to her. And by your expression I'm gonna go ahead and assume you know I'm talking about Isobel."

"Are you saying-" Elena interrupts.

"That Isobel Flemming is my birth mother? Yes I am." Elena confirms.

"How do you know about me?" He asks softly with undertones of suspicion.

"Look, I'll explain everything, just not here. Something tells me you're gonna need a drink and I'd like to introduce you to someone. Meet me here after school." Elena says writing down the boarding house's address and sliding it over to him. She stands up and walks towards the door.

"And don't bring your weapons." She calls over shoulder as she leaves.

Elena's walking to her next class when her phone rings.

"Hola." She answers.

"Hello, gorgeous." Enzo greets through the phone.

"You know when I text you, you don't have to respond with a call." Elena says.

"I was born in 1876, this is the best you're gonna get. Anyway, what is this about a roadtrip to Mexico?" Enzo asks.

"Yeah, I'm thinking me, you, Stef, Dames, Remy, and depending on how the rest of my day goes, my new history teacher."

"You know what I find interesting? A few months ago I would've felt the need to ask you about that last addition." Enzo says.

"I'm glad we've moved past that. So, you in?" Elena asks.

"Sure. As long as Damon doesn't talk and I get the front seat."

"Done and done. Gotta go, handsome!" Elena hangs up after he says goodbye.

"Ocean Eyes! You here?" Elena calls out as she walks into the boarding house.

"Well hello there, Ellie." Damon flirts walking down the stairs.

"No time for our will they/won't they banter. I need to talk to you." She says dropping her jacket and bag on the floor and walking to the bar.

"Just make yourself comfortable." Damon mutters walking behind her, picking up after her.

"Thanks. Have a seat." She says downing her drink and handing him the glass.

"So, a few years ago you turned a woman who worked at duke, right?" Elena asks.

"Yeah." He says confused.

"After you turned her, she turned it off and faked her death. She left behind her husband, who saw you killing her. The man became a vampire hunter to find and kill you."

"Okay. I'll go kill the guy. Thanks for the heads up." Damon says patting her shoulder and standing up.

"No, no, no. Wait a second. I'm not done." Elena says though a laugh.

"The woman, Isobel, she's um… my birth mother." Elena says making his eyes go wide.

"Oh my god, Ellie. I'm so sorry-" she interrupts him.

"No. You don't have anything to be sorry for. Even if she meant something to me, you only did what she asked."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Damon asks.

"It just seemed like such an awkward conversation." Elena stresses the such.

"How was I supposed to casually bring up that you banged and drained my egg donor?"

"Well, when you put it like that." He laughs.

"I'm only telling you now because, her hubby showed up. And I need you to not kill him." Elena says.

"Why?" Damon asks confused.

"He's gonna be important to me and maybe to you. I think as soon as we tell him what actually happened, he won't want to kill you anymore. Not until you open your mouth, that is." Elena smirks.

The door bell rings causing Elena to stand up from the couch and turn to the Salvatores.

"Okay, boys. Best behavior or he might give us detention." She says to the brothers walking over to the door.

"Hi, come in." She greets as the teacher nods and steps inside.

"What is this about, El? What can you tell me here, that you couldn't tell me at the school."

"No wasting time with you, huh? All right. I know, that you know, about vampires. I also know, you think Damon Salvatore killed your wife... Or maybe you didn't know that yet." Elena adds noticing the look on Alaric's face.

"How do you know about vampires?" Alaric says, slowing bringing his hand to his belt."

"Hey, I said no weapons. No ones gonna hurt you. They promised." Elena says.

"They?" Alaric says looking around as he follows Elena into the living room.

As soon as Alaric notices the oldest brother he let's a stake drop from his sleeve.

"Down, boy! He's not gonna hurt you." Elena assures, slowing placing her hand on his arm.

"What is this, Elena? What are you doing." Alaric asks suspiciously.

"Not leading you into a trap, if that's what you're really asking. Just… have a seat, please. I'll explain everything."

"I'm good right here." Alaric says making Damon roll his eyes and back the seat next to him.

"We insist. Oh, come on. I don't bite." Damon smirks as Elena facepalms.

"Christ, Damon. Do you want him to kill you?" She asks rhetorically.

"I'm sorry, about my brother. He's… well, he's just a dick. There's really no excuse. We don't want to hurt you. El made us promise and we don't break our promises to her. You can stay there. Will stay over here." Stefan mediates while pulling Elena to his side.

"Fine. Just, stay there. Please explain what's going on Elena." Alaric says calming slightly.

"Alright, for the one, two, three, four, five, six, sixth time." Elena counts on her fingers.

"I know the future. The future? Yes, the future. Or at least a version of the future that would have happened had I not interfered. Why are you telling me? Excellent question. Because you sir, play a very large and important roll in said future. If you want." Elena says acting out the questions in a deep voice making the brother laugh and Alaric look extremely confused.

"What do you know about Isobel?" Alaric asks after processing what she explained.

"In high school she dated my bio pop/uncle. Then got preggers with yours truly." Elena gestures to herself.

"Side note, Uncle dad's the one who told her about vampires and gave her that ring. Maybe don't take it off. It's magic." She points his ring.

"After she left me with the Gilbert's she went to duke, met you, became a professor, and began her obsession with the supernatural. Then she sought out Damon, turned, then met my doppelganger " Elena says causing the men to look to her confused.

"She knows Katherine?" Damon asks.

"Yep, she was an occult professor, she studied quite a bit of supernatural phenomenon, included doppelganger and vampires. Which brings us back to how your wife is only technically dead, being a vampire and all. She was turned by my friend here." She pats Damon's shoulder.

"My wife's alive?" Alaric asks shocked.

"Yeah, if it's any consolation she loved you, that's why she faked her death instead of divorcing you. She wanted you to remember only the good. I don't think she meant for you to see her death." Elena tries to comfort her.

Alaric drops his stake and sits down in the chair closest to him, Damon, understanding how he feels, walks over to the bar and pours him a heavy drink.

As he hands it to him, Alaric let's out a humorless laugh before downing it all in one gulp.

"So this is it?" Alaric says after a few minutes of silence.

"All my research, the training, and obsessing over what happened. This is how it ends?" Alaric asks before standing up and walking our of the house.

"I think that went well." Damon says dropping down on the couch.

"If you consider having an existential crisis well, then sure." Elena says putting her feet on his lap.

"What's going on with you." Damon pats her leg as she looks at him confused.

"The blonde one called-" Elena interrupts with an eye roll.

"Her name is Caroline."

"Uh huh, good for her. She called and said she's worried about you. Wanted me to check on you." Damon shrugs.

"What? Why?"Elena asks.

"She's said when get in your head you try to distract yourself, i.e. bucket lists and mexican road trips."

"I don't know. I'm just so… fucking bored! God! I fixed all the things that needed fixing and the next problems won't happen for months! And even those probably won't happen because I've got Slater in my back pocket." Elena rants.

"So speed things up." He shrugs.

"What?" She asks confused.

"Yeah, start your plans or whatever."

"You do realize this has to do with Klaus, right?You and Stef could die. All my friends could die." Elena says with her brows raised.

"You wouldn't let that happen. If your asking for permission, you have it. Things were getting a little quiet around here anyway."

"You cool with this?" Elena turns to Stefan.

"Of course. I want to meet this Klaus guy and get my memories back."

Elena smiles jumps on to him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, guys." She says after hugging Damon.

Elena walking up her front porch steps whistling when she's suddenly pushed against the side of her house.

Looking at her vampire faced, mirror image Elena remains unimpressed.

Katherine, noticing her expression, changes her face back and smirks.

"Hel-" Elena interrupts.

"Zdraveĭ, Katerina. Dlava bogu, che si tuk. Naistina se otegchavakh." (Hello, Katerina. Thank god you're here. I was starting to get really bored." Elena says in the Bulgaria she's spent years perfecting.

"Kakvo?" (What?) Katherine asks with genuine confusion.


	29. Kat Found

"I have to say, you surprised me. Not many do. I'm almost impressed." Katherine says after speeding Elena to a house she most likely compelled.

"I aim to please." Elena counters with a smile.

"I got your message, 'game on'?" Katherine asks in her usual bitchy tone.

"Yes, a bit theatrical, I'll admit, but I just couldn't help myself. I mean, it's not everyday you get a step ahead of 'The Katherine Pierce.' I wanted to make an impression." Elena shrugs with a smirk walking over to the bar and pouring two glasses of red wine.

"I assume we have the same taste." Elena says placing the glass in her double's outstretched hand.

"Mmm, that we do. How are my Salvatores?" Katherine asks after taking a sip.

"Ah, of course. Well, I don't speak for them, but I believe they're doing good. Certainly better than the 1864." Elena says trying to get under her skin while making herself comfortable on the couch.

"I doubt that." Katherine scoffs accidentally letting emotion bleed through her voice.

"Careful, Kitty Kat. One might believe you care for the brothers." Elena says shaking her head, mock disapprovingly.

"I'm kidding, of course. You and I both know you only truly loved one." Katherine let's out a dry laugh.

"You and I know, huh? Do share, Elena. How is it you know that?" She asks walking closer to Elena.

"That is a long story, Beautiful. One I will only tell when you're ready. And I'm betting that will be sometime before I leave for school in the morning. Speaking of." Elena says pulling out her phone causing Katherine to raise a brow.

"Hello." Elena's adorable aunt Jenna greets through the phone.

"Hey, Jen. Just letting you know I'm crashing with a friend tonight. So please wake up Remy for school and remind him he has a biology quiz tomorrow." Elena says with a thoughtful expression.

"Okay, will do. Have fun. But not too much fun, but if you do use protection." Jenna parents making Elena laugh lightly and smile in amusement.

"Of course, Jen. Thank you . I love you, see you tomorrow." Elena says hanging up after Jenna says goodbye.

"Aww, how sweet." Katherine mocks attempting to hide her jealousy, taking a seat next to her.

"I'd say jealousy looks bad on you, but nothing looks bad on us." 

"Jealous? Of you? Aren't you an orphan?" Katherine asks cruelly, becoming confused when Elena smiles at her smugly.

"On the subject of dead parents, how is Isobel?" Elena ask in a mock genuine tone making Katherine look to her surprised.

"What do you know, Elena?" Katherine asks threateningly, abandoning the banter.

"Countess Elizabeth Bathory was definitely a vampire, ornithology is the study of birds, there are 206 bones in the human body, and erotic asphyxiation gives the most intense orgasm known to man." Elena answers instantly while Katherine looks on with an expression seemingly crossed between amusement, confusion, and homicidal rage.

"About me." She demands sternly.

"Right. Well, you were born in Bulgaria in the 15th century to a traveler family. That's cool. You once loved the noble original, you killed yourself, your entire family was massacred, you stalked Stefan over the years, and you have killer taste in heels." Elena replies making Katherine lunge at her.

"How do you know all that?" Katherine asks threateningly after pinning Elena down by her throat while she tries to pry her hand off.

"Kinky." Elena breathes out when Katherine releases her.

"Threatening me or the people I love, won't get you anywhere, Katerina. Give me one night. Free of threats or secret agendas. Just one night to prove to you that I can be trusted." Elena says as Katherine looks to be considering it.

"You have until tomorrow. If I'm not sold by 7AM I will lock you away and kill anyone who tries to stop." Katherine tells her making Elena smile and bounce on her heel a little.

"Deal." Elena attempting to shake her hand.

"Come on." Elena says pulling Katherine towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Katherine asks stopping as Elena tries to pull her arm.

"Oh, come on, Katerina. What's the harm? It's not like I can hurt you." Noticing the hesitation on her doubles face Elena smirks.

"I dare you." Katherine huffs and leads a still smirking Elena out the door.  
___

"This is where you wanted to come?" Katherine asks judgementally as a bell jingles over the diner entrance.

"Yep." Elena responds, walking towards the counter.

"Hey, Kitty." Elena greets her favorite waitress.

"Hello, dear. Have a seat I'll be right with you." Kitty replies without turning around from the blender.

Elena sits Katherine down opposite her in a booth in the back of the diner.

"Alright, hun. The usual-" Kitty cuts her self off when she catches sight of the vampire doppelganger.

"I never knew you had a twin." She says shocked, looking between the two.

"Neither did I. I was adopted." Elena informs, technically not lying.

"Kitty meet Kat." She introduces.

"Wow, this must be so exciting for you. Nice to meet you, sweetheart." Kitty shakes Katherine hand, who still looks shocked Elena would introduce her to someone she knows.

"It really is. Although, I feel like I've known about her, my whole life." Elena says with a secretive smile. 

"You really don't look like any twins I've seen before. So similar." Kitty says shaking her head a pulling out her notepad.

"What would you like, dear?" She asks Katherine, causing her to smirk.

"Well everyone looks very delicious." Katherine holds in a grunt when Elena kicks her under the table.

"Don't you mean everything, twinsie?" Elena asks making Katherine smile.

"Of course. I'd like a double cheeseburger, no onions, extra pickles, with fries, and a chocolate shake, please." She making Elena eyes widen slightly and Kitty laugh.

"That's Betty's usual. Want that too?" She asks turning to Elena making her nod.

"Alrighty, I'll be right back." She says walking away from the doppelgangers.

"I was joking about the wine. So freaky." Elena mutters.

"Why are we here, Elena? Your clock is running out and you wanna waste time eating greasy diner food?" Katherine asks lowering her voice.

"They have the best milkshakes in the world. And we're not likely to run into anyone from town here. Also, call me Betty." Elena adds making the vampire roll her eyes.

"Let's talk about the Salvatores." Elena says out of the blue after Kitty brings their food.

"What about them?" Katherine asks faking nonchalance.

"Why do you love Stefan more than Damon?"

"I don't know." She says with a faraway look.

"Well I do." Elena smirks taking bite of her fry.

"Oh, do you?" Katherine asks mockingly.

"Yep, doppel-curse." Elena says pointing at her with a french fry.

"What?" Katherine asks confused.

"Way back when, the travelers placed a spell on doppelgangers to bring them together so it would be easier to find them and use their blood to break the travelers curse." Elena explains forgetting Katherine doesn't know Stefan's doppel-status.

"That doesn't make any sense. We show up in different lifetimes. We would never have met if I didn't turn." Katherine says.

"Right, you don't know about Silas and Amara. Okay, buckle in. This is a long story." Elena proceeds to explain the history of their ancestor and her terrible life decisions.

"So that's why I felt drawn to Stefan from the moment I saw him." Katherine realizes.

"Yep."

"Then why aren't you with him? Don't you feel this 'doppel-pull'?" Katherine asks.

"Yes and no. I don't feel romantic attraction so I just only wanted to jump him. I would have but, he's too sweet. Taking advantage felt really wrong." Elena explains making Katherine nod.

"But, very not cool of you, Kat. Playing with Damon's emotions like that. You're lucky you're cute or I would have killed you hours ago." Elena says as Katherine raises a brow.

"Really? I'm 500 years old. I could kill everyone in this room before you could blink." She says leaning in, threateningly.

"True. But I had the element of surprise. And I was trained by my bio dad/uncle John. I'm an excellent fighter." Elena says as Katherine tries to hide an impressed expression.

"On the subject of my birth parents could you not tell Isobel anything I tell you tonight? I really don't need her in my business." Elena says making Katherine smirk.

"Sure, if you tell me what you know about why I'm here." Elena raises a brow.

"I'm not stupid. You're obviously smart and prepared. And you don't seem like the type to believe I'm here for true love. You're also informed about the doppelganger history, even more than I, so it's safe to assume you know about other curses." Katherine shares.

"Yes, I know why you're here. And if you try to turn any of my friends I'll kill you regardless of how much I like you." Elena says sweetly with a shrug causing Katherine to glare at her.

"Why don't you hate me?" She asks angrily.

"Whatever do you mean, Katerina?" Elena asks innocently.

"You aren't scared of me. You aren't angry with me. After everything I've done. Toying with your precious Salvatores and killing anyone who gets in my way."

"I don't-" she cuts Elena off.

"Why not? I've killed hundreds, probably thousands of people. I manipulate, use, lie, steal, torture, and betray all for my own selfish gain. Why don't you hate me?" She asks frustrated.

"Cause your my fucking idol, Kat!" Elena yells surprising Katherine and earning looks from the other customers.

"I think you're awesome. I think you had a hard life and an even harder death, but through it all you managed to survive." Elena says sipping her milkshake.

"I dig it." She shrugs while Katherine still looks at her confused.

Katherine remains silent for a few minutes before Elena gets bored and decides to mess with her.

"You know, you're kinda shit at interrogation." She says as she dips a fry in her shake.

"What can I say? I'm better at emotional manipulation." Katherine shrugs making Elena giggle.

"That you are. Where is Mason? Still in Florida, Kathy?" Elena mocks teasingly as Katherine let's a a surprised snort.

"I'd asks you how you know that, but-" Elena interrupts.

"I'm not gonna tell you." 

"Don't do that to Tyler." Elena says sternly as Katherine smirks.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Katherine says innocently.

"Sure you don't." Elena returns sarcastically.

"I have it." Elena says after a few moments of silence, Katherine raises a brow.

"The moonstone." Elena informs making the vampire stiffen.

"Let's get out of here. I'll explain my plan." Elena says before they pay and leave.  
_____

"So you are going to, contact Elijah, convince him not kill Klaus, turn a rapist and or pedophile, kidnap a werewolf, make Elijah call Klaus, then let him sacrifice you?" Katherine asks incredulously.

"Yep." Elena replies popping the 'p'

"Are you fucking insane?" Katherine asks seriously making Elena laugh.

"Generally, yes." She says as Katherine looks on, concerned for her mental stability.

"I don't understand you." She says throwing her hands up.

"You seem... well, like me. You have the Petrova fire. You're a survivor. Someone willing to do whatever it takes to get want they want." Elena tilts her had as Katherine continues,

"Why are you doing this? What aren't you running?" Katherine asks making Elena smile at her.

"If you knew what you know now, about having to live 500 years on the run and never getting fully attached to anyone, never finding a home, would you still run?" Elena asks as Katherine nods silently.

"Exactly. Because you're a survivor, whatever it takes. But, I don't want to survive, Kat. I wanna live." Elena says as Katherine stares at her in realization.

"And I can't live without my Scooby Gang." She adds trying to lighten the mood.

"If I didn't have them, I'd book it, for sure." She says making Katherine smile slightly.

"I know who he is, Kat. I have no illusions about my future. But I think if they can all live their lives freely, I'll be cool." She says with a shrug.

"I underestimated you." Katherine admits.

"Everyone does. It's because I'm so hot, no one expects me to be this smart." Elena says making Katherine smirk at her in amusement.

"But that's not all I want from him." Elena says after a few minutes of drinking in silence, Katherine raises a brow in question as Elena leans towards her.

"I'm gonna get your freedom." She punctuates by taking a sip of her wine, Katherine laughs.

"Are you now?" She mocks.

"Mmm hm." Elena smiles.

"Right. I just gonna leave, then your gonna negotiate with the 1000 year old psycho who's been hunting me for 500 years and what? Just call me up with a quick 'you're free now'." Katherine says in disbelief.

"Yep."

"And how can I trust that you're telling the truth?"

"Cause if I'm not you'll… kill Isobel." Elena says after thinking about it for a second.

"Darling, if you're anything like me, and you are. You couldn't care less what happens to the woman who abandoned you." Katherine finishes with a somewhat proud smile.

"You're right, Katerina." Elena says with an impressed expression.

"I don't care about her, I care about you." Elena shrugs as Katherine looks at her confused before schooling her expression.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you. I'm very familiar with what happens to people who trust our face. Why would you possibly care about me?" She asks.

"Like I said, I find your cockroach like, survival skills charming." Elena says with a teasing smile.

"Even if I did believe you, I want Klaus dead. Sooner or later he'll go back on his word and kill me. I'll never really be free from him." Katherine says seriously.

"He can't die, Kat." Elena says sternly.

"Yes, he can. I'm not certain how, but I know he's afraid of someone."

"I'm not talking about Mikael, Kat. I'm telling you, if he dies, you, everyone he turned, everyone they turned, and so on, will die with him. It's a sire line and every original has one. You and by extension, the Salvatores, are in Klaus's." Elena says.

"How could you possibly know that?" Katherine asks getting frustrated with her lack of information.

"I know everything." Elena says dryly, lacking her usual humor.

"I was born with knowledge of the future." She admits as Katherine looks surprised.

"It's why John trained me. Why I know about vampires, doppelgangers, werewolves, and the curse. My whole life I've known that if I make a mistake or forget something, the people I love would suffer. There's never been a moment where I didn't worry that all my planning and binders were for nothing." Elena as Katherine unconsciously moves closer to her.

"You can't wake Mikael. I can't watch them die, Katerina. I can't watch you die. I won't be able to handle it." Elena admits.

"So that's why you care for me. Were we friends in the future or something?" Katherine asks making Elena laugh.

"God, no. You absolutely hated OG Elena. To be fair, she was incredibly annoying."

"I care for you because, I didn't just see the future. I saw some of the past as well. I know why you want your freedom so badly and why you found yourself caring for Isobel. I know about Nadia." Elena says.

"I promise you, he will never hurt her." Elena assures in quieter tone.

"Why did you tell me this? Why trust me with this secret?" Katherine asks matching her volume.

"I saw it." Elena says as Katherine looks at her confused.

"When you found them. Your family. I saw the pain you felt and I understood that was the moment you decided to never trust anyone again." Elena says making Katherine stiffen.

"I don't just need you to trust me for the sake of my plans. I want you to trust me. I want you to have someone, just one person that you can count on without a doubt. One person to put your trust in.

So I'm gonna do everything in my power to prove to you that I'm that person.

First, by getting your freedom. Then I'm gonna find your daughter." Elena says as Katherine grabs her arm.

"No, you can't do that. I don't care what he agrees to. He will kill her to punish me." She says desperately trying to make Elena understand.

"Hey, I can do this. I know the future, remember? I know exactly what to do and offer to make him happy. He won't ever think about you again. I promise." Elena tries to assure.

"I… I can't be her mother." Katherine admits quietly making Elena's heart clench painfully.

"Are you kidding me? You already are. Look at you. Suffering for 500 years knowing she's out there and not being able to see her, hold her, talk to her, all for her safety. That's what a mother does. You're are her mother." Elena tells her.

"Do you feel that way about Isobel? Katherine asks trying to mask her hope.

"I didn't turn myself and search for her for 500 years." Elena says comfortingly.

"You know what I'm asking." Katherine rolls her eyes.

"I love my mom. Miranda Gilbert was a wonderful woman and an even better mother, but I've always felt a disconnect between myself and my parents. I thought it was because I was adopted, but I'd killing anyone for Remy.

I know Isobel loves me. I know everything she does, she does for my survival, but I just can't bring myself to love her. Maybe I don't want to get hurt again by losing another mother or maybe I just don't really know her. In the future I saw, she dies and we only talked on a few, less than maternal occasions. Usually while she was threatening me or the people I love." Elena adds with grimace.

"But this isn't about me. I need you to trust me. Which means I need to tell you something I've never told anyone, because I literally can't. My brain won't let me. But you can compel it out of me." She says grabbing the vampire's hand.

"You don't drink vervain?" Katherine asks accidentally letting her concern show.

"Normally, but sometimes I forget. I'm very busy." Elena defends herself childishly as Katherine rolls her eyes.

"How are you the person screwing with all my plans?" She mutters shaking her head making Elena laugh as she takes off her anklet, bracelet, necklace, and belly button ring filled with vervain.

"Can never be too careful." She says with a shrug when Katherine stares at her curiously.

"Okay. Do it. Compel me to spill."

"Elena, what is it that you want to tell me that you can't?" Katherine asks staring into her eyes.

Elena suddenly groans loudly and leans her head back on the couch.

"Seriously?" She says to herself as Katherine smirks.

"Which Salvatore do you find more attractive?" Katherine ask while looking in her eyes.

"I think they're equally hot in different ways." Elena answers instantly as Katherine shrugs.

"Fair enough, go get another bottle of wine." She compels making Elena scoff.

"I'm not your slave." She responds making Katherine stares at her until she realizes what happened.

"Holy shit!" Elena exclaims.

"Holy shit." Katherine mirrors.

"I can't be compelled." She says with wide eyes.

"You can't be compelled." Katherine agrees before Elena jumps up and pumps her fist.

"Fuck yeah! That's what I'm talking about. Woo! Yes!" She cheers jumping up and down.

"Just when I think I can't get anymore awesome." She says sitting back down.

"Did you learn Bulgarian for me?" Katherine asks with a teasing smile after a few minutes of thoughtful silence.

"Yep. I thought we could speak it in public, like some kind of secret language. I also speak Spanish and French. I'm currently working on Russian." She finishes with a Russian accent.

"You're really something." Katherine says with a shake of the head.

After a few more hours of talking Elena's alarm for school goes off.

"Can I borrow some clothes?" Elena asks with her best puppy dog eyes making Katherine scoff.

"I have those too. They don't work on me." She says as Elena's eyes seem to get bigger and more innocent.

"Alright, jesus. We really shouldn't have those." She says making Elena squeal and run to Katherine's suitcases.

"I know right. We really lucked out, if you ignore the whole curse and sacrifice thing." Elena says digging through Katherine's clothes.

"How long have you been here?" Elena asks noticing the amount of laundry.

"A week give or take a few days. You spend a lot of time with Stefan and Damon. I assumed you were dating one or both of them." Katherine shrugs.

"If I did that, I totally would be. Those boys are ridiculously attractive, I mean, damn." Elena says staring off into space thinking about them.

"Agreed." Katherine says picking up the clothes Elena left lying around.

"I hate what you did to them." Elena says quietly.

"Yeah, well I kinda hate it too." Katherine admits handing Elena a pair of earrings.

"Here, where these with this jacket and these boots." She says while laying out a leather jacket and healed boots.

"I said you had killer taste in heels, meaning I would kill myself if I had to wear them. I don't care how good they make my ass look, I'm not wearing those." She says glaring at the heal.

"Put on the damn boots. You're a Petrova, we have a reputation to uphold." She says sternly.

"Ugh, I liked you better when you were trying to sacrifice me." Elena says making Katherine smirk at her.

"Come on, I'll drop you off." Katherine says grabbing her keys.

"Thanks." Elena says walking past her.

"Do you often go to school sleep deprived and wine drunk?" Katherine wonders out loud as they pull into the school parking lot.

"On occasion." Elena shrugs making Katherine shake her head with a small smile.

"Bye, Kitty Kat. Thanks for the ride. Here." She says handing Katherine her number.  
_____

Hours later, after school, Elena is sluggishly making her way to her front door after being dropped off my Vicki, when she's slammed, more gently than last time, into the side of the house by a smirking Katherine.

"Dramatic bitch." Elena mumbles as she walks back to the porch with a chuckling Katherine behind her.

"So is this part where you lock me in a dungeon?" Elena asks already knowing the answer.

"You know, I've decided to let you play out your plan. I've gotten quite bored over the years." Katherine shrugs as Elena smiles at her.

"I'm gonna get your freedom, Kat. Then I'm gonna reunite you when Nadia. It's in my offical plan." She says definitively.

"But I do need a favor." Elena admits making Katherine raise a brow.

"You know Brady? The hot guy from Mason's pack? I need you to have him delivered to me."

"He's your werewolf? Why?" She asks as Elena just smirks at her.

"We wouldn't be sentencing him to death for something he hasn't done yet, would we?" Katherine asks in mock disappointment with a smirk.

"That'd be despicable." Elena says playing along before yawning.

"I'm gonna go." Katherine says turning around before she stops and turns back to Elena.

"I'm trusting you, Elena." Katherine says with vulnerability and threatening undertones.

"I know and stop calling me Elena. It's Ellie or El." She finally corrects.

"Alright, Ellie. And this whole trusting thing, doesn't mean I like you." Katherine says removing all emotion from her face.

"I know." Elena smiles.

Katherine smiles a little and huffs out a sigh.

"Just, be careful. And just know if you get yourself killed, I will be taking over your identity." Katherine informs making Elena bark out a surprised laugh.

"I'd expect nothing less, Katerina." Elena says honestly.

After a few seconds of what seems to be Katherine talking herself out of it, she pulls Elena into a tight hug.

"Thank you." She whispers with emotion in her ear, disappearing before Elena can reply, leaving her standing on her porch with smile.

A.N: This chapter is extra long because this was the dynamic I was most excited about writing. Hope you like it. Thank you for reading.


	30. The Suit

"We are definitely gonna get murdered out here." Damon says as he drives deeper into the middle of nowhere.

"They're in hiding and don't have daylight rings. They also wanted to meet on a neutral ground. This is the only place they would meet with us." Elena explains while Stefan leans between the front seats.

"Didn't that Slater guy explain we didn't want to hurt them?" Stefan asks.

"They've managed to survive 500 years on the run from Klaus and Elijah, no way in hell they're trusting us, even if Slater says we're cool." Elena says changing radio stations.

"This is it?" Damon asks in a judgemental voice as they pull up to an abandoned house.

"It's better than the place they would have held me last time." Elena shrugs getting out of the car and the brothers look at her confused.

"I'm sorry, what?" Stefan asks climbing over the seat.

"Oh you know, kidnapping and whatnot." Elena waves him off as they make their way up the steps of the abandoned building.

"We will talk about that later." Damon says sternly making Elena snort.

"You got it, boss." She says before knocking the rusted door knocker.

"Yo, open up. It's hella creepy out here." Elena shouts making the brothers smile at each other.

The door opens with an ominous creak making the trio walk inside. 

Before they can say anything Elena is slammed into the wall by a snarling Rose.

"Oi, hands off the merchandise, Rosie." Elena scolds as Stefan and Damon pull the vampire off her.

"Rose, stop. It's not Katerina." Trevor says noticing the still visible marks on Elena's neck.

"Yeah, listen to Trev." Elena says as Rose calms down as the brothers release her.

"Doppelganger. I thought you were a myth." Rose shortly with an apologetic nod.

"You were myth-taken." Elena quotes with a smile making Damon groan.

"Ellie, I should not have to tell you not to quote Buffy the vampire slayer, in a room full of vampires." Damon says with a head shake.

"And yet." She responds simply with a teasing smile, turning to the older vampires.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Elena, but you can call me Ellie or El." Elena says holding out her hand for them to shake.

"I'm Rose and this is Trevor, but you knew that." Rose responds after they shake her hand.

"Indeed. My bodyguards over there are Stefan and Damon Salvatore." 

"Stefan. Lexi's friend?" Rose asks surprised as Stefan nods.

"Yeah. How do you know Lexi?" He asks.

"Old friend. She tried to set us up once." Rose replies with a small smile as Stefan chuckled.

"Sounds like Lexi." He says with a smile.

"As riveting as this is, can we get on with it?" Damon asks impatient as always.

"Fine. Why did you have Slater contact us?" Rose asks suspiciously.

"You're probably not gonna believe me, but whatever, can we sit?" Elena asks already taking a seat on the stairs.

"Alright, to make a long story short, I wanna get your freedom from the originals." Elena says as the brother take a seat next to her.

"What?" Rose and Trevor asks with the same amount of shock.

"Yep, don't pretend like you haven't been thinking of a ways to take out the Salvatores so you can give me to Elijah, from the moment you saw me." Elena says with a smirk as the two avoid eye contact.

"No worries. I get it. I'd do the same." She shrugs.

"But here's the thing, it's not necessarily because I'm handing myself over to him anyway. Like today." Elena says making the oldest vampires look to her with disbelief.

"You're kidding." Trevor says.

"Nope. And here's the kicker, he's already on his way here." She smirks as the two visibly start to freak.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rose shouts walking towards her making the brothers stand up infront of her.

"No offense guys, but she's like really old and could totally kick your asses. Rose, please chill. I got this." Elena says pulling the brothers back down.

"You've got this? You've got this? Seriously. You do understand he wants to sacrifice you right? Not to mention the second he sees me and Trevor we're dead." Rose says walking towards the door only to remember it's daytime.

"And we stuck here. We're dead." She says turning back around.

"If you'd stop your bitching for a moment, I'd explain to you my plan to earn your freedom. Unless that doesn't interest you. By all means, if i were you I'd walk into the sun. No doubt less painful then what Klaus has planned for you traitors." Elena says pointing towards the door with a smirk.

"Or I guess just traitor, singular. After all, Rosie here was just remaining loyal to her friend." Elena mock muses.

"Fine." Rose states with a huff.

"You're gonna use me as a bargaining chip." Elena says simply.

"What?" Trevor asks confused.

"That's it? Just hand you over?" He continues.

"Yep. Eli's gonna be here in a few hours. Meet him at the door, tell him you've found the doppelganger, and in exchange you want you and Trevor's freedom. And really specify Trevor. Elijah's very particular about his wording." Elena explains to the still very confused vampires.

"Wait. If you already contacted Elijah why did you involve us at all?" Trevor asks.

"Good question, one I'm not gonna answer until you agree. So, you in?" Elena asks.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. We're in." Rose says, Elena jumps up with a clap.

"Yes! Awesome! Okay. Have a seat folks, I've got a story for you."

Elena then explains how she knows what will happen and what would have happened.

"And your all 'I beg your forgiveness' and Eli's all like 'So granted' and just fucking beheads you." Elena says with a laugh then sighs.

"It was really hot." She says making the vampires stare at her like she's crazy.

"I mean, horrible. Absolutely horrible. What kind of person would be turned on by that? Certainly not I." Elena says with a nod as the older vampires continue to stare.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, doppelicious, but are you saying he would have killed me no matter what?" Trevor asks trying to process the information.

"Yep. And that right there, is why I chose to save your life." Elena says.

"What? You saved me because of that lame joke?" Trevor asks horrified as Elena nods her head enthusiastically.

"Rose, this girl is insane. She is gonna get us killed." He says turning to his friend, panic stricken.

"Calm down and take comfort in the fact that I know more than you. I want you alive for a reason, that's what you should really be worrying about." Elena says with a wink before walking deeper into the house with the Salvatore's behind her.  
___

Elena is laying upside down on the couch clicking her tongue when she groans.

"Ugh, this is taking forever!" She says rolling off the couch on to the floor.

"I forgot what a drama queen he is. Probably wants to make an entrance." Elena says with an eye roll as the vampires shush her.

"Shh. Ellie, I think he's here." Damon says as the older vampires start pacing.

"Oh my god! He's gonna kill me." Trevor starts to hyperventilate.

"It's too late now. I've got this." Rose says placing her hands on his shoulders as Elena smiles at their relationship.

Across the abandoned house Rose opens the door, hiding from the sun.

"Rose-Marie." Elijah greets formally.

"Elijah. Please come in." Rose says trying to get control of her fear.

"Thank you. So tell me, what gives you the courage to contact me?" Elijah asks walking through the house like he owns it.

"I have something that I would like to trade for mine and Trevor's freedom. We don't want to run anymore." Rose recites the words Elena told her to.

"And I'm in a position to grant you that. What is it you believe is worth your freedom?" Elijah asks with as much condescension as ever.

"Katerina Petrova." Rose states.

"Go on." The Original demands.

"Her bloodline didn't die with her. She gave birth to a child before she arrived in England. She has a doppelganger." Rose tells a now intrigued Elijah.

"Do you have her?" Elijah asks urgently most likely already thinking of ways to lure out his brother.

"Elijah, you're a man of your word. I need you to guarentee that once I hand over the doppelganger, me and Trevor are both free to leave with our lives and that you will never come for either of us again." Rose specifies causing Elijah to smirk.

"You have my word that I will pardon both you and Trevor." Elijah assures.

"Follow me." Rose says walking through the house, entering a room with Trevor cowarded in the corner while the Salvatores stand on either side of Elena in a protective manner.

Elijah eyes meet Elena's before he speeds to her leaning down to her neck causing the brothers to growl, Elena subtlety raise her hand to stop them from getting themselves killed.

Elijah pulls away and leans back. "Human. Hello there." Elijah greets with a small smile.

"So, have they earned their freedom?" Elena asks gesturing to Rose and Trevor, confusing the original.

"It would seem so." He replies smoothly making Elena smirk.

"Fantastic. Before you two go, might I suggest using your new found freedom to visit the Salvatore boarding house in Mystic Falls? There may be some really cool jewelry in it for you." Elena says surprising the three vampires least acquainted with her.

Trevor let's out a breathless laugh as Elijah stares at her intently. 

"I owe you my life, Doppelicious! We'll be there." He calls out as him and Rose wrap themselves in scarves before leaving the house.

"Now that that's settled, Hello Elijah, it's nice to meet you. I'm Elena, but you can call me anytime." Elena flirts lamely making the older brother snort and the younger shake his head with a smile.

"Pleasure." Elijah kisses her hand after collecting his bearings.

"You seem a tad confused. Have a seat, I'll clear some things up for you." Elena says dropping down on the couch with all the grace of a toddler and patting the seat next to her.

"Ellie." Damon says in a warning tone.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry, Eli meet Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Salvatores meet Elijah, the noble original." Elena introduces surprising the original with the use of one of his many monikers while Damon rolls his eyes at her blatant disregard of his warning.

"Salvatores. The last vampires Katherine Pierce turned, if I'm correct." Elijah muses and nods in greeting.

"You aren't." Elena says with a smile not elaborating as Elijah raises a brow.

"I'm assuming you were compelled or are letting the information Rose-Marie may of shared with you go to your head." Elijah says in a pitying tone as Elena just smiles at his attempt to get under her skin.

"Speaking of Rose, you lied." Elena says as Elijah's smile drops.

"I can assure you, I did not break my word. I let them leave and as I have no attention of pursuing them, I've kept my word haven't I?" He asks.

"That may but true, but you don't exactly have the power to pardon them from Klaus, you haven't spoken to him years. You freed them from your vengeance, not his. But that don't know that. Nice little loophole, isn't it?" Elena asks as Elijah's eyes narrow slightly.

"Man of your word? Technically. But they could die because you've withheld a rather important piece of information." Elena says without the accusatory tone he was expecting.

"I wouldn't worry to much about your friends, seeing as how they handed you over to me to do with you whatever I please." He says changing the topic of his nobility.

"Are you taking suggestions?" Elena slips back into her playful flirty tone.

"Because mine would be turning me over to your brother in exchange for your siblings. You know, the ones not at the bottom of the sea." Elena says as Elijah stiffens while his eyes turn cold.

"I'm giving you five seconds before I remove the hearts of your friends here. What is it you think you know about my family." Elijah threatens making the brothers stand closer to her.

"Chill, man. Jesus, you really went form 0 to 100. I'm not trying to hurt you or anyone you care about. To be honest, I was counting on my looks to carry this conversation, but whatever. Look, I know things, alright? Things nobody outside of a witchy bloodline should, but here I am. I'm aware of the part I play in your brother ritual and I also know you want him dead for killing your siblings. But you're wrong. He didn't drop them in the ocean, he carts them around in those coffins. He only told you that to get you to stop bothering him." Elena takes a deep breath after information dump while Elijah sits there, stunned.

"How do you know these things?" He asks.

"When I was a baby I saw an entire future timeline, you and your sibling had a staring roll in my life. Let's just says I could do without the constant death of loved ones." Elena tells him thinking of her aunt.

"Prove it. Tell me something nobody could have possibly informed you of." Elijah demands.

"Celeste Dubois. Your lover from the eighteen hundreds that your brother inadvertently got killed." Elijah's eyes widen subtlety.

"She's not actually dead. Since her death she has been inhabiting other witches bodies and killing herself before moving on. I'm not sure who she's in now but I know she will jump in to a French Quarter witch named Sabine Laurent in September of next year." Elena tells him.

"That's not enough. You could be in contact with another witch who knows her. Something only I would know." He says making her roll her eyes.

"Fine. Who killed your mother?" Elena asks him.

"Mikael." He answers instantly.

"Who really killed your mother, Elijah?" Elena leans in.

"Mikael. What are you-" Elena interrupts.

"Really? No one else? Nobody else had a reason to want your mother dead?" Elena asks as his eyes narrow.

"Why are you asking me this?" Elijah stands.

"Because you know the truth. You know it and your hiding it from yourself. Who killed your mother?" Elena asks walking closer to him.

"Niklaus." Elijah says with realization.

"Believe me now?" Elena asks lacking humor.

"I believe so." He says reigning in his emotions.

"Fantastic!" Elena says cheerfully before turning back to the couch.

"Now we can get back to how you're gonna save my life." Elena says making Elijah raise a brow.

"Resurrection potion. Made for a certain brown eyed beauty." Elena says as the corner of Elijah's mouth lifts when she compliments herself.

"I can get it, what else would you like in exchange for your cooperation?" Elijah asks.

"I'd accept sexual favors, but your not being very receptive to my flirting." Elena pouts making the brothers look to her with wide eyes as Elijah's lip twitches.

"You're a better man that I, Eli. I wouldn't tried to collect the whole set." Elena tells him as he breathes out a sigh.

"El, can we talk to you a moment?" Stefan asks suddenly standing.

"We'll be just one sec." Damon tells Elijah holding up a finger as he pulls Elena away.

"The hell are you doing, Ellie? This guy could kill us all in a second. Stop flirting with him." Damon demands.

"Do you think if I push him far enough he'll choke me against a wall?" Elena asks distractedly licking her lips.

"You have issues." Damon whispers back to her making her snort.

"You don't say?" She replies with a laugh.

"El, why are you intrested in him?" Stefan asks thinking about the guys outdated hair. Hypocrite.

"You know what they say, Stef. Gentlemen in the streets, absolute beast in the sheets." Elena says wagging her eyebrows playfully making Stefan smile at her.

"Ellie, I love you, but you can't flirt with people who are trying to sacrifice you." Damon says sternly.

"Awe. You love me?" Elena asks completely ignoring the second half of his sentence.

"Oh my god. I can't do this. You deal with her." Damon says turning to Stefan as Elena smirks in victory.

"You guys know he can hear us, right. Even if we whisper." Elena whispers the last part as the brothers look to each other.

"Shit." They says at the same time as Elena walks back to the room with Elijah.

"Sorry about them, they're really protective of me. I think it's because they have mommy issues." Elena tells him as he nods.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you join us for dinner? We aren't that far from Mystic Falls and we skipped lunch because you wanted to make and entrance." Elena says as the brothers join her on the couch.

"I've see you try to cook. I'll pass." Stefan says teasingly making Elena huff.

"Yes, I admit, I'm a shit cook. But i can place and order like a mother fucker." She says turning back the original, doe eyes on display.

"Of course. We have plenty to discuss." Elijah agrees making Elena pump her fist.

"Awesome! Alright, just follow us back to Mystic Falls." She says walking towards the door as Elijah stands and clears his throat.

"I think it's best if you join me." He says as Elena nods understanding his mistrust.

As they reach Elena's SUV Elena throws the keys to Stefan only for Damon to reach for them first.

"You sure about this?" Stefan asks looking at Elijah wearily.

"Totally. Love you guys. See you at home." She tells them kissing their cheeks before they get in her car.

"I parked quite a ways away." Elijah says as Elena turns to him with a smirk.

"Are you trying to sweep off my feet?" Elena asks playfully earning a half smile in return.

Continued in Pt.2...


	31. The Suit pt.2

After picking Elena up and speeding her to his car Elijah sets her down with a small smile.

"There's something I don't understand." Elijah says after a moment of driving in silence.

"What might that be?" Elena asks teasingly, putting her head in her hand.

"If you could have contacted me yourself, why involve Rose-Marie and Trevor?" Elijah asks.

"I may have been playing matchmaker. Rose and Damon would be cute together." Elena says with a shrug.

Years ago, Elena decided she wouldn't be putting any work into character relationships, buuut… Klaroline rights!

"And Rose and Trevor's friendship warms my cold heart. Plus, I wanted Rose to be rewarded for staying by his side for 500 years. That's loyalty." Elena muses as Elijah nods.

"So, you gonna asks about your future?" Elena asks out of the blue, surprising him.

"I wasn't really sure how to ask." He admits making her laugh.

"You died." Elena says sadly as Elijah observes her curiously.

"You seem saddened by that. Why?" He asks, she shrugs.

"Because I am sad. I've grown rather attached to your family." Elena says looking out the window with furrowed brows.

"That's not happening this time." She says quietly.

"I won't let it." She says in a determined tone.

"I believe you." Elijah says looking at her.

"What's your last name, Elena?" Elijah asks deciding to learn more about the girl who just turned his life upside down.

"Gilbert. I can tell you my story if you'd like." Elena offers noticing his curiosity, he nods.

"Well, I was adopted by my birth father's brother and his wife. My bio parents were sixteen and didn't know how to be parents. My parents had been trying to have a baby for years and thought I was a miracle." Elena laughs softly with a smile.

"Boy, were they wrong." She says and he chuckles.

"Knowing all I did, I was exactly a normal child. Honestly, I was completely detached until they had my little brother." Elena smiles so bright it distracts him from the road.

"The light of my life, that kid. After he came along I started warming up to my parents. Well as warm as you can get when you know your parents are part of a secret society filled with vampire torturers. Anyway, I was so bored that I decided to learn as much as I possibly could. I speak a few languages and can play a couple instruments. I've read tons of books and learned to play hundreds of songs. As soon as I was able to hold a pencil I started to make a plan to change the future. So far I've changed some pretty major things." Elena trails off with a thoughtful expression.

"But I couldn't change my parents death. I tried. I don't know if it was fate for them to die or just a freak accident, but… I'm gonna save you, Elijah." She finishes with a nod.

"I'm very sorry about your parents, Elena." Elijah apologizes making her shake her head and smile.

"No. It's okay. One of the cool things about knowing a bunch of information about an alternate timeline is knowing that peace exists. And I know that they found it." Elena smiles at the thought of her parents.

"You understand that Klaus might not let me resurrect you, correct?" Elijah asks cautiously, feeling the need to warn the girl.

"He kinda has to. Long story short, your mom's a real bitch." Elena says bluntly causing Elijah to make a surprised face.

"Sorry. Forgot who I was talking to." Elena apologizes sheepishly.

"No, its okay. Though it is concerning you feel comfortable around an original vampire planning to sacrifice you." Elijah says with an amused smile.

"Yeah, all my friends say I lack survival instincts. But I think I'm just a good judge of character." Elena defends.

"Good judge of character?" He asks with furrowed brows.

"Yeah. I'd never mess around with someone who'd be willing to kill me. Plus, I'm too cute to kill. I mean, look at me. I'm fucking adorable." Elena bats her eyelashes causing Elijah to smile and turn back to the road.  
____

After arriving at the boarding house Elijah grabs Elena's hand, stopping her from exiting the car.

"Do I ever wake my siblings?" He asks with a thoughtful expression.

"Yep. I have a plan for that too." Elena tells him as they exit the vehicle.

"Honey, I'm home!" Elena hollers walking into the house with an amused original following her.

As they walk into the living room Elijah clocks the Salvatores both looking her over, most likely checking for injuries. 

He makes a note of this, knowing his brother won't be happy that his doppelganger as a two guard dogs.

"Can we have pizza for dinner?" Elena asks Damon flopping down on the couch and putting her feet in his lap.

"Ask your mother." Damon says not looking up from his book, Elena turns to Stefan with a hopeful expression.

"Sure." Stefan says with an amused smile pulling out his phone to place the order. 

"Have a seat, E man." Elena says gesturing to the chair next to her.

"Earlier you mentioned you have a plan, may I ask what exactly you're going to offer my brother in exchange for your life?" Elijah asks making himself comfortable in the chair.

"You can ask, doesn't mean I'm gonna tell." Elena sasses playful, squeaking when Damon pinches her leg.

"What? I'm just kidding." She defends rubbing her leg and glaring at the elder Salvatore.

"He could still kill us." Damon halfheartedly reminds not truly believing it, remembering the fond look Elijah continues to send Elena.

"If they tried hard enough, anyone could kill us." Elena's phone buzzes interrupting her train of thought.

"It's Enzo. He said, that Slater said, that he gave Rose my number. Right. I totally forgot." Elena says as Damon's head snaps to her.

"Enzo? You're in contact with Enzo? Since when?" He asks.

"Did I not tell you that?" Elena asks with confusion.

"Uh, no. You did not." He responds with an eye roll.

"My bad. He agreed to come with us on our Mexican road trip. Wanna come?" Elena asks turning to the original.

As he just stares at her in confusion with a slightly open mouth she continues,

"Right. Sacrifice first. Authentic tacos later." She reminds herself with a nod.

"You asked about 'Operation Red Riding Hood?" Elena asks making Damon snort.

"Seriously? Bit on the nose." Damon making Elena smile.

"The big nose?" She asks cheekily making him rolls his eyes again.

"Is his commentary absolutely necessary?" Elijah asks already disliking the elder Salvatore.

"Yeah, Ocean eyes. Shut your trap." Elena squeals as he pinches her again.

"Alright, so you know that to break the curse Klaus has to drain the doppelganger until the point of her death, then he'll unlock his wolf side?" Elijah nods.

"Well, the process for making hybrids is to feed them Klaus's blood, kill them, then when they wake, transition using doppelblood. But if he kills me, no doppelblood for him. It's a truly fucked up loophole. Hey, maybe you got that from your mom." Elena muses as Elijah sits there stunned.

"So, had he killed Katerina, he wouldn't have been able to make hybrids?" Elijah asks rhetorically.

"And seeing as why the only reason he wants to be hybrid is to make more of him, he probably wouldn't have been a very happy puppy." 

"Niklaus might accept this, but the rarest key to breaking the curse, disappeared with Katerina 500 years ago." Elijah says making Elena smirk.

"Oh, you mean the moonstone? I already have it." Elena tells him making him raise a brow.

"How thorough is this plan of yours?" He asks with an impressed expression.

"Let's see, I have the moonstone, the doppelganger, vampire blood to turn someone, a lovely sacrifice site, and my wolf should be here in 2-3 business days." Elena ends with a proud smile.

"That's very well thought out, Elena." Elijah compliments making her smile.

"Thank's, Eli. I've also had my blood bagged like 4 times a years since I was ten. And happen to know the location of one, 'Mikael the Destroyer'." She says making Elijah stiffen.

"Does he know about you? If he does we need to leave. He will kill you to spite Klaus." Elijah says as Elena shakes her head.

"No. Well, technically he does but, like 15 years ago he found me and a witch desiccated him to protect me. He currently resides in a cemetery in Charlotte. If you don't mind, could you compel some people to look for him?" She asks as he nods..

"Also, remember he only drinks from vampires, so probably send humans." Elena reminds.

The door bell rings making Damon hand Elena his wallet as she stand to get the pizza.

Elijah notices Damon staring after Elena concerned, as she walks away.

"Is she aware that once my brother knows about her and her blood she will never be free of him?" Elijah asks sadly, thinking of the girls now nonexistent future.

"Knowing Ellie, she probably doesn't even care as long as her friends and family are okay." Damon says with a frown and sighs.

"You don't have to call your brother. Ellie said she already took care of all the ways Klaus could find out about her. All you have to do is not make that call." Damon tells him as Elijah furrows his brows.

"But you will. Noble, my ass." Damon scoffs, standing and walking out the room.

"Hey, you hungry?" Elena asks sweetly making Elijah's chest tighten with guilt.

"Yes." He answers, taking note of her hopeful expression.

Elena sets the table and pulls out Elijah's chair for him, making his lips twitch.

After sitting down Elena slides him a wine glass of blood.

"Thank you." He says with an amused smile

Right before he's about to take a sip Elena places a pink silly straw in his glass, Elijah makes eye contact before sighing heavily, rubbing the corners of his eyes.

Stefan laughs quietly as Elena continues to smile innocently at Elijah.

"Not a problem, Eli." She responds making him smile.

"Is that why you made me buy those straws?" Stefan asks he with an amused smile.

"No, I asks you to buy them because they're awesome." She says using her own straw to sip her drink.

"Did you know Klaus is in New York?" Elena asks Elijah after a moment silence.

"No, but that isn't surprise. He does enjoy the art in large cities." Elijah responds.

"We went on Halloween and bumped into him in a club." Elena tells him making his eyes widen.

"I was in costume and ran before he realized it was me. We're like that hot maid and the guy with face blindness." Elena says with a sigh as they all look to her confused.

Stefan's eyes go wide. "Oh my god. Are you talking about Cinderella and Prince Charming?" Elena snaps her fingers and points at him.

"Yeah them!" She exclaims as the vampires shake their heads, smiling.

"I wouldn't mention meeting him if I were you. He won't take kindly to you slipping through his fingers." Elijah warns a smirk Elena.

"I know. He's gonna be so mad." She giggles thinking of his reaction.

"Do you visit New York often?" Elijah asks curious if his brother is already aware of the doppelganger.

"Sometimes. My bio dad is a hunter and trained me. There's a safe house for active hunters in New York. It also doubles as a training facility." Elena tells him surprising the brothers.

"You never mentioned that." Damon says.

"It never came up." Elena shrugs.

"Do you hunt with him?" Elijah asks curiously.

"I have before. It's not really my thing. I mean, the adrenaline is awesome and I love kicking ass, but I'm pretty lazy by nature. And I can't really justify traveling around the county and staying in motels when I could be home, eating junk food and playing video games with my brother." Elena shrugs as Elijah smiles at her with a wistful expression.

"What?" Elena asks with a laugh.

"Forgive me, it's just, you remind me of my younger brother, Kol." Elijah says making Elena smile wide.

"E man, you have no idea what a compliment that is. He is so awesome!" Elena exclaims bouncing in her seat.

"He'd be glad to know you think so." Elijah replies.

"Speaking of your delightfully psychotic siblings. Do you have a way to contact Klaus?" She asks making him nod.

"Cool. If I were you this is what I'd say, Niklaus-" Elena imitates his accent and tone making the brother stifle a laugh and Elijah look at her unimpressed.

"You are ruthless and cold hearted as they come, but I never for a second doubted your love for our siblings. I know you only daggered them to protect them from father. I have present for you." Elena finishes with a shrug.

"Or something along those lines. Just be careful with your wording because he will dagger you if given the opportunity." She warns.

As Elijah prepares to leave he turns to Elena with a regretful expression.

"Elena if I contact my brother, you will never be free. You won't ever get to live a normal life." Elijah tells her making her smile at him.

"Eli, I've been planning this for a very long time. I've always known my life would be tied to him. And believe it or not, I actually want to help him reclaim his true self." She says with a wink.

"Just, maybe don't tell him about my whole fortune teller thing. He's already insanely paranoid. I don't need him killing my friends to send a message." She tells him before kissing his cheek.

"I won't. It was nice to meet you, Elena. After so many years on this planet people rarely surprise me. You are a very notable exception." He tells her honestly before leaving.


	32. The Big Bad Wolf

"He could have at least called, is all I'm saying." Elena says as Stefan carries her on his back to their shared history class.

"I feel like, the guy who's planning to sacrifice you not calling is probably a good thing." Stefan replies as they enter the classroom.

"No. He's definitely scheming. It's so weird not being in the loop. I'm so used to pulling all the strings. But with him, anything could happen." Elena says as he sets her down.

"I'm sorry. That must be hard." He comforts sympathetically.

"Are you kidding? This is awesome! Anything could happen. He could just pop up and take me. I'm always on edge. I love it!" She exclaims with a laugh as Stefan shakes his head with a smile.

"Right. I forgot how insane you are." He says taking a seat.

"Words hurt, Stef." She scolds making him smile at her.

"Alright, Class. In honor of the decade dance, today we are going over the highlights of the 50's." Alaric says as the last student's take their seats.

Elena's eyes narrow slightly at Alaric. Last she saw him, he was drowning his many sorrows at the Mystic grill and hadn't bothered to show up to class on time, certainly wasn't putting together lesson plans.

As though feeling Elena's gaze, Alaric turns his head, meeting her eyes.   
She smiles brightly and waves as he let's out an almost unnoticeable breath, almost.

With an expressionless face, Elena stands up and walks out of the classroom.

Moments later, the fire alarm rings throughout the school.

Alaric and Stefan are the last ones out the door as the students hurry out of the classroom.

As they step out of the room, they see Elena leaning against the wall next to the doorway and as they walk towards her she grabs both their arms pulling them back into the class.

"The hell are you doing, Klaus?" Elena asks angrily as Stefan's eyes widen and the now revealed, Alariklaus's face contorts with surprise before schooling his features into a smirk that looked wrong on the teacher.

"Very good, Love." He mocks as Elena face scrunches in disgust.

"Ugh, gross. Don't use pet names in his body, it doesn't work." She says as Stefan stands there, still shocked.

"Very well. How'd you know it was me?" Alariklaus asks smugly leaning on the desk next to him.

"What the hell is going on, El?" Stefan asks looking between the two.

"I know everything." She answers in reflex, ignoring Stefan before shaking her head.

"No. We are not having this conversation. Go home, call your witch, and get out of my history teacher. Once you've done that, send him to the boarding house with a nice bottle of bourbon." She demands as Stefan waves his hands in front of her face.

"Seriously, El. What is happening?" Stefan asks only to be ignored again.

"I think you may be confused, sweetheart. I'm in charge here." His smirk turns into a glare as she groans again.

"What did I just say? No pet names." She says taking out her phone.

"Hello." A familiar voice plays through Elena's phone shocking Alariklaus.

"Tell your brother to get out of my teacher before I kick his ass." Elena says earning a sigh from Elijah.

"Niklaus, please remove yourself from the girl's teacher. We will speak about this later. Elena, I am very sorry for his behavior." Elijah apologizes making his brothers jaw drop in disbelief.

"It's all good, Eli. He isn't house trained. I get it." She says earning a light chuckle from the older Mikaelson and a growl from the younger.

"Perhaps we should meet. I'll send you my address." Elijah says.

"Sure thing, I felt like ditching anyway." Elena says with a laugh as she hangs up the phone.

"You heard him. Go home." She says as Stefan places himself in front of her.

"El, what is happening?" He practically yells.

"Chill, man. Klaus is possessing Alaric. I thought that was pretty obvious." She says making him throw his hand up in frustration.

"Why do you have my brother's number?" Alariklaus asks angrily.

"Because we're plotting to kill you." She deadpans causing him glare at her.

"I'm gonna go meet Elijah. Will you cover for me and can I borrow your car?" She asks as he nods pulling out his keys and handling them to her.

"Please be careful." He says hugging her.

"When am I not careful?" She asks making him scoff and hold up his hand.

"When you told me and Damon the truth, your meeting with Elijah, the entire Enzo operation, and just this morning, you put your hands over my eyes as I drove." He list off holding his fingers up ignoring the confused look being sent to him by Alariklaus.

"Ok, so sometimes I'm less than careful." She concedes kissing him on the cheek as she walks towards the door.

"Elijah's not going to hurt me and I promise to wear a seat belt. I love you." She says as she leaves the two men standing awkwardly next to each other.

"So uh, Klaus, huh?" Stefan tries to make conversation before shaking his head leaving the room.  
____

"Hello, Elena. Please come in." Elijah greets as Elena enters the apartment.

"Sup, Eli. Nice digs." She says looking around as he smiles fondly at her.

"Again, I must apologize for my brother." Elijah says as Elena pats his arm.

"He's not your responsibility. Plus he didn't really do anything other than annoy me. And probably scar Ric for life." Elena muses.

"I wish that were true." Elijah says contemplating Elena's words.

"He's a big boy, E man. Now, what happened and why did he feel the need to spy on me?" Elena asks throwing herself down on his couch.

"I merely informed him of the doppelganger's whereabouts and proposed a truce between the two of us. When he didn't respond immediately I didn't think he would go behind my back to find you. Though, I'm not surprised. My brother remains as paranoid as ever. I fear he may never trust me." Elijah says with a sigh as he makes two drinks and hands one to her.

"Yeah, that's one tough nut to bust." She says as she pats his hand sympathetically.

At Elijah's utterly appalled expression, Elena believes this second life is heaven after all.

As Elijah continues to stare at Elena as though he's questioning if she's even real, she continues,

"So, wait. He didn't know we were in contact? That's why he looked shocked when you answered the phone? That's hilarious." Elena says with a laugh.

"We may have made him more suspicious." Elijah says.

"Yeah, probably didn't help that I said we were plotting his death." Elena says with a grimace as Elijah's eyes widen.

"Certainly not." He says with a nod as Elena's phone dings.

"It's Damon. He said Alaric just showed up at the boarding house." Elena relays the message.

"You should probably send Klaus this address, we need to have a chat." Elena tells him making him pull out his phone.  
____

"Brother." Klaus greets with a smirk as Elijah opens the door.

"Niklaus." Elijah nods as Elena stands from the couch.

"Doppelganger." Klaus affectionately greets Elena with a glare.

"Prick." She greets with a smile as Elijah sighs.

"Perhaps antagonizing him isn't the smartest move." Elijah says as he moves to sit next to Elena.

"But it's just so cute the way he huffs and puffs." Elena whines with a smirk.

"Enough. Tell me how long have you two been conspiring against me." Klaus demands as Elijah and Elena look to each and rolls their eyes.

"what ever do you mean, Nik?" Elena asks as he glares and takes a step forward.

"Okay. We're not at the nickname stage yet. I totally understand. We'll get there." She says holding up her hands.

"Why don't we start over? Hi, I'm Ellie, future human sacrifice." She holds out her hand causing him to shake it with narrowed eyes.

"And you're Niklaus Mikealson, all around super scary dude and total smoke show." She says with a wink.

"Why don't you have a seat so we can discuss how I'm the answer to all your prayers." Elena says gesturing to the chair next to her leaning into the couch with a smug look as Elijah tries to smother a smile at his brother incredulous expression.

"How long have you known about her?" Klaus asks Elijah after taking a seat.

"Since the day before I contacted you." Elijah answers honestly as Elena nods.

"How did you find her?" 

"She found me." Elijah responds as Klaus raises his eyebrows.

"Did she? Now, tell me sweetheart, what do you know about the sacrifice?" Klaus tries to compel Elena. She rolls her eyes.

"No need to compel me." She says as his eyes scan her for vervain jewelry.

"I'll tell you whatever you want. But first, Elijah." Elena gestures with her head to Klaus making Elijah's brows furrow.

"Elijah would like to make a deal. My full cooperation for your siblings." She says surprising the brothers.

"Elena-" she cuts Elijah off.

"This is him handing me over. Do you accept?" Elena asks Klaus.

"They're daggered for a very good reason, brother. You know this." Klaus says making Elijah clench his jaw.

"That was not our decision to make." Klaus scoffs.

"You're right. It was mine. Shall I make another?" Klaus threatens causing Elena to stand in front of Klaus.

"Can you not, with the hostility? We're not conspiring against you or plotting your death. The suit just wants your family back. It doesn't have to be today. Just give your word that they won't remain daggered forever." Elena tries to reason as Klaus stands over her.

"You should fear me." He states then looks to his brother.

"Why doesn't she fear me?" He asks, angrily glaring when she giggles.

"It's hard to fear you. Your just so damn cute. I mean, look at those eyes." Elena tilts her head as she flirts.

"You're flirting with me." He says confused and turns to his brother again.

"Why is she flirting with me?" He asks.

"I find myself asking that very question." Elijah says with a rare playful smirk aimed in her direction, she sends him a smile.

"Explain." Klaus demands flashing his vampire face.

"Something was stolen from you. I wish to return it." Elena says with a shrug.

Klaus pushes Elena against the nearest wall with his hand loosely around her throat as he glares.

She'd be a filthy liar if she claimed it didn't turn her on a little.

"Tell me what you know." He snarls.

"That's a pretty long conversation, Mr. Big Bad Wolf." Elena smirks as Klaus looks to his brother.

"You told her?" He asks making Elijah shake his head trying to hide a smile at his brothers very obvious irritation.

"You are gonna tell me everything you know or I will-" 

He has fantastic lips. Elena thinks as she tunes out the soon to be hybrid's threats.

I mean, does he use tinted chapstick? Did he just make out with someone? Fillers? What is his secret? She asks herself as she stares at his moving lips.

"Do I make myself clear?" Klaus asks threateningly bringing Elena back to reality.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asks distractedly.

"Do I- do I make myself clear?" He asks more confused than threatening this time.

"Oh, I wasn't paying attention. You have great lips." She compliments as the lips she's staring at turn downwards.

"Elijah, I think this human's defective." He states turning around and walking away from her.

"Believe it or not, that is not the first time someone's said that about me." Elena says as Elijah smiles at her, he most certainly believed it.

"Let's just go over key points, I know about the curse, the sacrifice, your siblings, you mother, BT dubs Elijah knows about that." She says making Klaus's eyes snap to his brother.

"How long have you known?" Klaus asks.

"It doesn't matter, Niklaus." Elijah says confusing Klaus.

"Back to me, I'm completely willing to go along with the sacrifice, no interference from any of my friends, and I'll even provide the vampire, werewolf, and the moonstone." Elena states, Klaus turns to her with disbelief and suspicion written across his face.

"Exactly why is it you wish to help me?" Klaus asks in a tone that would scare anyone else.

"You deserve to be restored to your true self. Letting you walk around only half the person you were meant to be, doesn't sit right with me. It makes my heart hurt." She admits as he remains silent.

"Or maybe I just like your dimples." She eases the tension with a flirty grin as his brows remain furrowed.

"I don't believe you." Klaus states.

"No, for real. They're adorable. I mean, you don't smile often, but when you do, that shit's cute as hell." Elena tells him and let's out an annoyed huff.

"I don't believe you're willing to hand yourself over to be killed." He says.

"Killed then resurrected." She corrects as he raises a brow.

"And who said I would allow that?" 

"Your mummy." Elena smirks at the confusion on his face.

"Uggghhh." Elena groans throwing herself down on the couch with head in Elijah's lap as he looks down at her with a raised brow.

"I'm so sick of explaining all this shit." She pouts.

"As you know, To break the curse you need to drain the doppelganger of her blood to the point of her death." Klaus nods.

"Well, for your hybrids to successfully transition, they need to drink the doppelganger's blood." Elena says simply as Klaus stands up and walks to the bar.

"Meaning, you can't make hybrids without breaking the curse and you can't break the curse if you want to make hybrids." She explains.

"Right. Awfully convenient. If it's true, how do you know this?" Klaus asks trying to hide worry.

"Same way I know about the curse, your siblings, your mother, New Orleans, and that you are a fantastic artist. I know everything." She says as he furrows his brows.

"I don't follow." He admits with a smirk.

"Eli, could you?" She gestures to klaus and closes her eyes.

"It would seem that the young Ms. Gilbert here, is a seer." Elijah says making Elena snort. 

"Eh, close enough." She says.

"And you just took her word for it? I mean, honestly, Elijah. You never could resist a pretty face." Klaus scolds making Elena's eyes snap to him.

"You think I'm pretty?" She asks with playful hopefulness.

"I also think you're a liar." Klaus tells her making her roll her eyes.

"I'm not lying. I was born with knowledge of the past and possible future. I knew you were coming, that's why I reached out to Elijah. I was hoping to avoid you murdering my loved ones infront of me this time." Elena says bluntly as Elijah looks to her with a sad expression.

"You didn't tell me that." He says softly as she shrugs.

"Cause it doesn't matter. That's not happening this time. I've got everything planned. The full moon is coming up and as long as you have your witches, we're golden." Elena says to Klaus.

"If you are lying to me-" Elena interrupts.

"You'll kill everyone I've ever met. Yeah, I got that." She waves him off.

"You said you have a wolf. How did you find one? They are not easy to come by." Klaus asks accidentally showing his curiosity.

"He was a gift from Katerina." Elena says as the brothers eyes snap to her.

"You're in contact with Katerina? I want her location." Klaus demands.

"Hmm, let me think. Go fuck yourself." Elena tells him, Klaus growls and takes a threatening steps forward as Elijah puts his hand up.

"Calm yourself, Niklaus." Elijah tells his volatile brother before looking down at Elena.

"Katerina betrayed me. She owes me a debt that I wish to collect. Please give me her location." He says softly and Elena sits up next to him, grabbing his hand.

"Elijah, I respect and adore you very much, but imma need you to hop off that high horse." She says in the same tone making Klaus snort and Elijah glare at him.

"She was 18 and just found out that the man she loved was planning to sacrifice her. She did what anyone would have done." She tells him honestly.

"If she had just trusted me, I would have given her the elixir." Elijah argues.

"Okay. Say you did. How long before Klaus killed her to punish you? Or out of anger for his failed hybrids?" Elena asks and turns to Klaus.

"Speaking of, if you had sacrificed her you wouldn't have been able to make hybrids anyway and nobody would have known what she looked like to find the newest doppelganger." She tells him making him scoff.

"She stole the moonstone and made me chase her for five hundred years." He says.

"What? Was she just supposed to wait patiently for you to slaughter her?" Elena asks sarcastically as he smirks.

"You are." He says without his usual malice.

"Touché." She responds with smile.

"Look, I said what I needed to say. I'm gonna go. Thank you for having me, Eli. And please don't murder anyone I care about." She says turning to Klaus.

"I make no promises." He grins like a madman.

"Oh, before I go. I have a question." Elena says.

"Will you be my date to the dance tonight?" She asks as he stares at her incredulously.

"You're kidding." He says dryly as she smiles innocently.

"Nope. How do you know I'm not plotting against you if you don't keep an eye on me?" She asks with a smirk.

"Wear something leather. And tight." She adds while her eyes trail down his body.

"Bye, 'lijah!" She shouts walking out the door, leaving to stunned originals behind her.  
____

"Salvatores!" Elena yells as she enters the boarding house.

"Oh, hey Ric. How you doin'?" She asks noticing Damon and Alaric sitting in the couch, drinks in hand.

"Oh, you know. A 1000 year old original vampire, I'm told that's one of the first vampires to walk the earth, possessed me to spy on one of my students that happens to be my wife's biological daughter and newest doppelganger in bloodline that goes back 2000 years. So, not fantastic." He replies in a monotone as Elena grimaces.

"Wow, uh. That's rough. Damon could you-" she gestures with her head to the kitchen making him nod.

"Christ, that dude's life sucks." Damon says as Elena pulls him into the kitchen.

"Tell me about it. What should we do?" Elena asks.

"How should I know?"

"Of the two of us, you have the most experience with emotionally fragile men, you know, being one yourself." She says with a smirk as he rolls his eyes.

"Hilarious. I thought letting him in on what's going on would distract him, but he seems even worse off." Damon says looking through the doorway.

"Well, I just came to return the Stefmobile and borrow a few 50's outfits for the dance. Why don't you tell him about Katherine or something. Try to bond with him." Elena says as she pats his shoulder and leaves the room.  
___

"We are gonna look so hot!" Caroline exclaims with an excited squeal as Elena, Bonnie, and Vicki laugh.

"Speak for yourself, I'm already hot." Elena says flipping her hair behind her shoulder.

"Hey, do you guys think it's weird we don't hangout with anyone else?" Bonnie asks distractedly.

"No. Why?" Vicki asks with a laugh.

"Sarah Fell made a comment about it." Bonnie shrugs.

"Why do you care? We hate her. She's Ellie's nemesis." Caroline says making Elena nod.

"I know. It just got me thinking. You know none of us have ever went to a dance or town function without each other." Bonnie says.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. She's just jealous because any of her friends would ditch her for one of us." Elena says as Vicki points to her.

"Exactly. She's been crushing on Ty for years and now Stefan. She wishes she was us." She says making Bonnie nod with a smile.

"Your right."

"Speaking of Ty, he's been really angsty this week and slept over with me last night. He's really feeling the full moon." Elena says as they all frown.

"We need to cheer him up. Should I throw a party?" Caroline asks making Vicki snort. 

"Do you have any other moves?" She asks with a smile.

"I know my strengths. If we need someone to get his order wrong, we'll call you." Caroline sasses back making Vicki throw a fry at her.

"Bitch!" She says through a laugh as Caroline eats the fry.

"Guys, I have an idea. This Means War." Elena says with a smirk causing them to squeal.

"Yes! Omg, yes! This Means War." Caroline says bouncing up and down as the others cheer.

A.N: this chapter got long so I split it into two parts. Thanks for reading.


	33. The Big Bad Wolf pt.2

"You look fantastic. The 50's suit you." Stefan compliments Elena as she walks into the gym.

"I agree. But not as well as me." Damon says smugly running his hands over his own chest.

"Well don't you look like a pair of dream boats." She says as her eyes trail over them.

"Dream boats?" Stefan asks with a laugh.

"I may have googled some 50's slang." Elena admits with a shrug.

"Now come on, let's rattle." She says pulling then to the dance floor.

"Ever seen someone twerk to Elvis? 'Cause you're about to." Elena says before Damon spins her with a laugh.

"You gonna tell them about Klaus?" He asks looking at the Scooby gang over her shoulder.

"I don't want them to worry." Elena says shaking her head.

"You know you're coming back, right? Then they have nothing to worry about." He tells her.

"There may be a very small chance I don't actually survive." Elena admits making him stop dancing and look to her with wide eyes.

"What? I thought you said Elijah had a potion or something."

"He does. I'm just not completely certain it will work. Look, forget I said anything. Klaus knows he needs my blood, so I'm sure he'll have his witches look into it." She assures, kicking herself for telling him.

"How'd you survive last time?" He asks with worry on his face.

"I don't wanna give you any ideas." She tells him with a slight laugh.

"You need to tell them. If there's even a slight chance you won't make it, you need to say goodbye." He tells her seriously.

"Okay. Enough with the emotions, please. You hunting wabbits now? When you'd you grow out your hero hair?" She jokes making him laugh.

"Rude!" Stefan shouts as he dances with Caroline making them crack up together.

"Sorry. I just don't wanna lose you." He tells her honestly.

"You're not. I'm sure Klaus will find a way to resurrect me if anything happens." She tells him as he spins her into Stefan.

"I thought the Elmer Fudd jokes died with the ripper?" He asks with a raised brow as she giggled.

"No way. You drank bunny blood. I will never let you live it down." She smirks as he rolls his eyes with a smile and spins her around.

"He's right though. Tell them." He says making her sigh.

"I will. Just not tonight. Tonight, I have something amazing planned." She says with a smirk when she hears someone clearing their throat.

"Mind if I cut it." Says a smug original. Stefan looks to Ellie and she nods.

"Not at all." Stefan says handing her to Klaus.

"You came." Elena says with a smile.

"Yes, well you did threaten me." He says with a dark tone making her roll her eyes.

"God! Does being a drama queen run in your family or something?" She says with a groan.

"We have been known to be rather theatrical." Klaus smirks and pulls her closer.

"As fun as this is, I much perfer the first time we dance together. Although I was high, that could be why." She ponders as he meets her eye.

"What?" He asks confused.

"Yeah, totally rolling. It was great." She says and cuts her off.

"Not the drugs. What do mean we danced to together?"

"I'm offended you don't recognize you. I was Poison Ivy. Here I was thinking you were my Prince Charming." She scoffs with a head shakes and he stills.

"I- we danced..." He trails off with a deadly look in his eye.

"You were right there!" He says loudly as she grabs his arm.

"In your defense, it was a very dark club." She tries to help as he seethes.

"If you had been anyone else, I might never have found you." He says with angry realization.

"If I was anyone else, I would have went home with you." She smirks and making him start dancing again.

"Stop dwelling on what ifs. It doesn't matter. You're here. And you're gonna break your curse. Just enjoy the win." She tells him honestly earning a small smile.

"He knows." Elena states noticing the look Klaus sends Stefan.

"About the 20's." She clarifies.

"How do you-" He cuts himself when she send him amused glance. He huffs and pulls her closer.

"I don't like that." He says making her laugh.

"No one does." She says pulling him from the dance floor.

"Come on. I want you to meet the people you are under no circumstances, allowed to hurt." She finishes as she reaches the refreshments table.

"Guys this is Klaus, Klaus this is Jenna, my aunt, Remy, my baby brother, Tyler, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, and his sister, Vicki. And of course you know Stefan, and this is his brother, Damon." She introduces as they waves and greet him.

"Wait. Klaus. Like original vampire, Klaus?" Caroline as their eyes snap to her.

"Yup. He'll be in town a awhile for reasons I've yet to explain." She smirks when they all groan.

"He's cute." Caroline assesses with a nod as the other nod.

"Right. Look at that scruff." Jenna agrees.

"Yeah. It's gonna feel amazing against the inside of my thighs." Elena states making the others groan, laugh, or choke on their drinks as Klaus looks to her with wide eyes and dropped jaw.

"Ellie. Stop hitting on 1000 year old men." Jenna scolds as she puts her head in her hand.

"Who told you I hit on Elijah?" Elena asks looks to the Salvatores as Jenna's brows furrow.

"No one- You hit on another 1000 year old man?" She asks incredulously as the other laugh.

"Yes. But in my defense, all the originals are ridiculously attractive." Elena says holding up her hands.

"Can I have a-" Elena says gesturing to the bunch bowl making Tyler nods.

He hands her the drink and she scoffs.

"How dare you." She says in an offended tone making his eyes widen.

"This Means War." She declares seriously as a smile plays at the corner of his mouth before he narrows his eyes.

"Prepare to fall by my hand." He says loudly, storming away from a smiling Elena and three confused vampires.

"Seriously?" Matt asks with an exited smile when she nods.

"Come on." He says pulling Jeremy away from a groaning Jenna.

"That game is a danger to society." Jenna says shaking her head as Elena brings a hand to her heart.

"That hurts, Jenna. That "Game' is my baby." Elena says making her scoff.

"You broke your ankle, Jeremy broke his arm, and Bonnie fell out of a tree!" She says earning surprised faces from the brothers who look at the small girl.

"No one made her climb that tree. She was playing to win." Elena defends, high fiving the witch.

"Fine. But, no drinking. You guys are way too irresponsible at it is." Jenna says making Elena nod.

"Fine." She agrees as Jenna narrows her eyes.

"Or drugs." She says sternly as Elena's smirk fall.

"You're really killing this guardian thing, Jen." Elena says honestly making Jenna smile with glistening eyes.

"I'll be right back." Elena says before walking to the music both and requesting a song.

Elena runs back to the table and pulls Klaus to the dance floor before Elvis Presley's 'Hound Dog' plays through the gymnasium.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog

Crying all the time

You ain't nothing but a hound dog

Crying all the time 

Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit

And you ain't no friend of mine."

Elena sings as she spins around an unamused Klaus.

"Oh, come on. That was funny." She says with a smile as he shakes his head.

"No it wasn't." He denies as she nods her head.

"Yes it was. You can admit it. I'm growing on you." Elena says matter of factly.

"What is this game your aunt is talking about?" He changes the subject.

"Whenever one of us is feeling down we go out on the Lockwood property and shoot each other with Nerf guns. We used to play with water guns but Care Bear joined the green club and made us switch to conserve water." Elena says making him raise a brow.

"What? That's it? How did you get injured?" He asks.

"We- well, you see- sometimes, like we- um" she stutters out.

"We get pretty into it." She says with a nonchalant shrug.  
____

"Arm yourselves and remember that tonight, there is no family and there is no love! Be prepared to betray those who trust you and prepare to be betrayed! Tonight, is every man for themselves! This is war!" Elena declares with a loud yell before dropping her serious face.

"I just said that for the game. I love you guys more than life itself." She says sweetly making the others laugh before resuming her battle face.

"I'm so confused. Ellie, what the hell is going on?" Damon asks for the third time since being dragged out into the woods.

"Did you not hear my speech? War, Damon. That's what's going on. Now, pick your weapon, you have five minutes to get in position. Remember that this treehouse is Switzerland and when this air horn goes off, the game has begun. You're allowed to team up, but last one standing wins." She explains making the Salvatores grin.

"Why am I not surprised you invented this?" Stefan asks rhetorically.

"Because I'm awesome-" Tyler cuts her off.

"She didn't invent this. Suzanne Collins invented it." He sends her a teasing smile as she rolls her eyes.

"Yes, I may have used the Hunger Games as inspiration, but the execution is all me. Now, go get your weapons and hide." She tells them before turning to a bored looking Klaus.

"Why am I here?" He asks her as she straps on her gun holsters.

"I wanted to win and you have super hearing. The view's just an added bonus." She says winking at him and loading her real weapon holsters with fake plastic guns.

"This is ridiculous. I'm a thousand years old. I'm not playing this game with you." He says making her groan.

"Ugh, why are you being so lame? Look, if you stay, I'll answer any questions you have, okay?" She asks as he narrows his eyes.

"Fine." He reluctantly agrees.

"Good, come along." She says pulling his arm as she walks though the woods.

"Why is your aunt your guardian?" He asks as she looks between the trees, trying to find the right one to hide behind.

"Dead parents. Shouldn't you know that? How long have you been stalking me?" She asks.

"Not long. I may have been little over enthusiastic and jumped into your teacher before doing any real research." He admits making her snort.

"You know, that happened last time. Why did you use him? Last time it was because he was apart of the Scooby gang and had his own place." Elena says.

"My witches over heard him talking to someone about being new in town and they found out he's a teacher. I thought I would go unnoticed." He shrugs.

"Well considering he only came into town to kill Damon, we've been keeping a pretty close eye on him." Elena says as he looks to her confused.

"Why-" She cuts him off.

"He witnessed Damon draining his wife."

"Oh."

"Who happens to be my birth mother."

"Woah."

"But then we explained to Ric that Damon fed her his blood before killing her, by her request." She finishes with a nod.

"Wow, that is-" she interrupts again.

"A whole lot of uncomfortable coincidence? I agree." She says as he nods.

"Which one of your friends is feeling down?" He asks.

"Hold that thought." Elena says before blowing the extremely loud air horn.

"Alright. Listen for any foot steps. And Ty. He's an untriggered wolf and the full moon always messes with him." She explained as a thoughtful look crosses his face.

"No. Absolutely not. If Ty, someday, wants to trigger it and become a hybrid that will be his choice. You leave him alone." She says sternly to a smirking Klaus.

"Wipe that stupid hot look off your face. Ty is too young to decide something like this. Plus his parents are head of the vampire council in this town, the last thing he needs is to be invited into his own home." 

"Fine. Consider the subject dropped. Someone is walking towards us at 6 o'clock." He warns before she dives behind the neighboring tree and fires her gun, hitting who ever was coming towards them.

"Dammit! Every time!" Jeremy shouts as Elena stands up, laughing at him.

"Sorry, Rem. Every man for themselves. Even if you are too adorable to shoot." She says pinching his cheeks as he swipes her hands away.

"How is it always you that gets me?" He asks frustrated.

"Because you always seek me out. No go to the treehouse and play some video games, this could take awhile." She says patting his face and turning around as he mutters about stupid games and walks away.

"You have a history of shooting your brother?" He asks with a raised brow.

"Well, it's not a dagger but it gets the job done." She says with a smirk, blowing on her gun as he glares.

"Who did I kill last time?" He asks making her stiffen.

"Jenna." She answers shortly before continuing.

"Then you made Stef kill a bunch of people, then you turned Tyler, then you almost had Rem killed, but Alaric took his place. After that it was kinda a constant stream of threatening and blood-napping." She says making him stop walking next to her.

"Well, as long as you cooperate none of that will happen." He says causing her to snort.

"OG Elena did cooperate. It was her love stick guard dogs that fucked everything up." Elena says before walking forward.

"Should I be worried about Stefan then?" He asks making her turn to him with a puzzled expression.

"What?" She asks.

"Your boyfriend. Will he get in the way of our plans? Because if he does, I can't guarantee he will survive." Klaus says darkly before she laughs.

"Stefan is not my boyfriend." Corrects with an eye roll.

"Forgive me for my assumption, you did kiss him and say I love you this morning."

"On the cheek and I do love him, just not like that. You don't have to worry about any boy toys coming to my rescue." Elena says.

"So, you're unattached?" He asks with a raised brow as she turns to him suspiciously.

"Are you hitting in me? Because I should warn you, I only want you for your body." She states as he huffs.

"No, I'm not hitting on you. I'm just curious if you have any plans to continue the Petrova line." He says making her stop again.

"Umm, I can donate my eggs." She says.

"So, no little Lockwoods running around?" He asks with a teasing smirk.

"One, gross. He's like my brother. And two, definitely no kids. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a little crazy and also 17. My only hard plans for the future involve you. So unless you plan to impregnate me. I think I'm good." She says with a smile that says 'I know something you don't know' and turning around.

"On the subject of the future, care to share mine?" He asks with suspicion.

"Not particularly." She answers without turning around, before he grabs her arm and pulls her back.

"That wasn't really a question-" she cuts him off by shoving him into a tree as a orange dart flies past where would have been. She winks as he rolls his eyes at her theatrics.

"I could have caught the thing." He says walking ahead of her.

"I just saved your life. You could at least thank me." She says teasingly.

"Thank you, Ms. Gilbert for saving be from that deadly piece of styrofoam. You're my hero." He says dryly making her giggle and grab his hand.

"You are very welcome, little lady. Try to stay out of trouble, you hear." She says in southern accent as he unlinks their hands with a glare, although she can see the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.

"See. I'm growing on you. And why shouldn't I be? I'm amazing." She says confidently.

"I suppose, I feel less inclined to murder all your friends. That could have something to do with you." He admits.

"Exactly. Amazing."

"Very confident. Though I guess walking around with all that knowledge, may do that." He ponders as she nods her head.

"Yep. It has it's perks. Though I am constantly bored." She admits before turning to him.

"But that's over now. You're here." She says excitedly bouncing on her feet.

"No one should be this excited about meeting their soon to be murder. Are you sure you're right in the head?" He ask making her laugh.

"Nope. But is anyone?" She asks as he stares at her puzzled.  
____

After winning the game by climbing a tree and using Klaus as bait he silently drives Elena to the boarding house.

"I don't want to hurt your friends." He says after stopping the car.

"But if this is a trap or a ploy to kill me, I will not hesitate." He promises gravely as she nods.

"I know. I'm resigned to my fate Klaus. I'm actually kinda cool with it. I mean, there are way worse psychos I could be spending the rest of my life tied to. Look, you're gonna break your curse and become the most powerful being on the planet. I just want to warn you that making the hybrids won't give you what you're searching for." She tells him as he sighs.

"Elijah's gonna make me wake our family. They are gonna hate me." He admits with a shrug, trying to downplay his hurt.

"That's a real tough nut to bust." She repeats sympathetically and doesn't bother to contain her laughter as he makes the same horrified, albeit less judgmental expression.

"Oh my god, you really are brothers." She says through heavy laughter.

"I bet Kol will appreciate it more." She muses as Klaus stares at her like he has been all day, completely baffled.

"Don't worry so much, Klaus. I've got your back." Elena says leaning forward and kissing his cheek before jumping out of his car.

"And don't dagger Elijah!" She shouts as she backs away, leaving a very confused and slightly hopeful, soon to be hybrid in her wake.


	34. Murder Mystery

Klaus and Elijah sit across from Jonas Martin and his two children.

"You have your daughter back, Jonas. I held up my end." Elijah reminds the eldest warlock.

"No. Your end was killing the hybrid. She's not helping." Jonas says with a glare as his daughter rolls her eyes.

"It's funny. Isn't it, Elijah? The way he's acting as though he has choice." Klaus says with an smug grin.

"We will not help you. It's wrong. He's a crime against nature." Jonas states making Klaus's jaw clench.

"Brother, if you could." Elijah says as Klaus stands and rushes the youngest witch, holding him up by his neck.

"We aren't asking. Greta, be a dear and test that." Klaus says setting Luka down but still keeping a grip on his neck as he points to the elixir. 

Greta nods and picks up the elixir as Elijah puts his hand out.

"Is there anyway to test it's effectiveness without calling upon the ancestors? Ms.Gilbert informed me that the original witch may be actively sabotaging the ritual." Elijah says as the witch nods and Klaus scoffs.

"You rip someone's heart out one time and they make their afterlife's mission to destroy you." Klaus says with and eye roll as Elijah shoots him a disbelievingly glare.

"Yes, she's horrible." Elijah deadpans as Greta chants over the elixir.

"It should work. But this is some dark magic. I wouldn't be surprised if it had some pretty major consequences." She informs as the two original nod.

"That's enough. We will help with the ritual, but after that, lose my information." Jonas says angrily as he grabs his kid's arms.

"Of course, let me walk you out." Elijah says as politely as ever while gesturing to the door.

"What is it?" Klaus asks when Elijah walks back into the room while staring at piece of paper with furrowed brows and an open mouth.

"An invitation, it would seem. From Ms.Gilbert, made out to the two of us." Says clearing his throat with a small smile.

"What is my little doppelganger up to?" Klaus asks with narrowed eyes.

"Paranoid as ever, Niklaus." Elijah sighs.

"No one could possibly care this little about their own life." Klaus declares suspiciously as Elijah raises a brow.

"So little about her own or so much about yours?" He counters making Klaus roll his eyes.

"Do not waist your time trying to find hidden meaning in my words, Elijah. Just because you can't see past her face-" Elijah interrupts with a scoff.

"Of course I can. I'm not fond of the girl because of her ancestors." 

"Right. You hang on her every word and in her presence smile more in a few hours than I have seen you smile for entire decades, because she [doesn't] remind you of Tatia. Or is it Katerina you see?" Klaus mocks.

"I see Elena Gilbert. A girl who introduced herself with a ridiculous pick up line and even though she's not only aware of, but seen many of my despicable deeds, called me out on my deal with Rose-Marie as though complimenting me on my deceitfulness. She is far from Tatia or the Katerina we knew. Honestly, would either of them ever send this?" Elijah asks handing his brother the invitation who begins to read it aloud.

"Dearest non-daggered Mikael sons, 

you are cordially invited to my "Murder Mystery" dinner party, where I will reveal Klaus to be the killer and myself as his soon-to-be victim.

Text for deets.

With lust, ya boi.

P.S. This is Ellie, if that wasn't obvious.

P.P.S. Tell Klaus to wear something cute. *wink* *wink*"

Klaus finishes before shutting his eyes with a sigh.

"No. I doubt either of her ancestors would have sent that." Klaus admits with a small smile 

"She is quite strange." Elijah agrees with a chuckle.

"As endearing as I find her madness, we mustn't let our guard down. This girl holds more power over us than anyone we have ever faced. It would be foolish to trust her. She is a Petrova after all." Klaus raises his glass with a smirk.

"Niklaus, if she isn't to be trusted, why would she contact us at all? Like you said, she holds a significant amount of power over our entire family. Why not use her knowledge to run? She mentioned that in the alternate timeline she saw, I died. If she knows how to kill an original, why offer herself up at all? If this girl is as conniving as you claim to believe, why is she helping you? Tying her life to yours. Effectively ending any chance at a normal future?" Elijah argues as Klaus stands.

"That, my noble brother, is what we are going to find out." Klaus says with a smirk as he pushes the invitation into Elijah's chest as he walks out of the room.  
____

"They're gonna hate it!" Caroline cries as Elena tries to stifle her laughter.

"They're not gonna hate it, Care bear. In fact, they're gonna love it." She assures as Caroline shakes her head.

"No. No, they lived through the renaissance era! They know what a good party is supposed to be. I'm a fraud!" She says dropping on to the couch and Elena lays on the floor next to her.

"Care, they were vikings. They slept on the ground and didn't have showers. They are not gonna care." She comforts, petting Caroline's hair.

"Doesn't matter." Caroline says with a sigh.

"No, it does. Care bear, but let me remind you that I don't give flying fuck, what the originals think of me or you or any one of us. We're kids. Literally, like not even legal adults. They have no place to judge us. So if we want to throw trashy, tacky, or down right stupid parties, then we will. But seeing as how you, my dear, are the party planner, that's just not possible." Elena says softly before standing back up and putting her hands on her hips.

"So stand your happy ass up and get back to work." She says sternly making Caroline giggle and stand up.

"Okay! Thank you, Ellie. You're the best!" She says bringing Elena into a very tight hug.

"I know. It's honestly exhausting." Elena says teasingly as Caroline runs away.

"Ellie, I can't get the shading right." Jeremy whines childishly as Elena groans.

"My God, are you all collectively having a crisis today?" She asks before taking her brothers sketch pad.

"What are you talking about? This is perfect." She says making him smile.

"Yeah?" He asks hopefully while she rolls her eyes.

"Yes. And you know it is." She says before kissing his head and walking away.

"Hey-" Elena interrupts Stefan.

"What? You back to ripping people? Damon renew his promise of eternal misery? What?" She asks as he raises a brow.

"Just checking to see if you're sure this is how you want to tell them." He says softly.

"Oh. Totally. They'll be tipsy, stuffed with amazing food, and distracted by your striking good looks." She she says laying a hand on his cheek as he rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Hmm hm. This is gonna turn out terribly." He warns making her pout.

"Ye of little faith. I've got this, Stef. Now get in the kitchen where you belong. Mama's hungry." She says pushing him away making him laugh.  
____

"I'll get it." Elena calls out to the room of her friends when the boarding house's doorbell rings.

"Sorry, 'lijah. We're not interested in purchasing a bible." Elena says looking his suit up and down.

"Kidding, I'm glad you guys could make it." Elena greets the two originals with a smile.

"Of course, we received your invitation." Elijah says with heavy eye contact laced with judgment.

"Not sure why you have that look in your eye, but I'm gonna assume it has nothing to do with me." Elena says with a raised brow.

"Hello, Love." Klaus greets with an amused smirk.

"Well, hello there." Elena flirts leaning against the door.

"Okay. That's enough. Come in." Damon says shortly pulling Elena away from the brothers.

"Let me introduce you to everyone." Elena says as she grabs their arms, pulling them into the living room.

"Hey, guys. The guests of honor have arrived. You met Klaus, but this Elijah." She says gesturing to the noble brother as the others wave.

"Jen, this is the other 1000 year old dude I hit on. Can't you understand why?" Elena asks with an impressed tone making Jenna sigh.

"I'm very sorry about her, I'd say we dropped her on her head as a baby, but she's just like that." Jenna apologizes as the other laugh and Elena scoffs.

"It's quite alright, Mrs…" Elijah trails off.

"Oh, Ms. Sommers, not Mrs." Jenna offers as he brings her hand to his lips.

"Uh, no. Absolutely not. This is not happening. You'll become related to their family over my rotting corpse." Elena states making Jenna blush and scold her.

"Elena Marie." She says sternly.

"Sorry, Jen. But they have a 1000 years worth of enemies. You'd be killed in like a week! Do you know easy it is to kill humans? I could kill you all, right now." Elena stresses making Jenna smile.

"Ellie, calm down. Deep breath." She says putting her hands on Elena's shoulders as Elena breathing evens.

"I'm calm. If you'll excuse me, I need to go clean up the stuff I'm about to break. Talk amongst yourselves." Elena says with a nod before walking away.

"Is she alright?" Elijah asks with concern as her friends nod.

"Yeah, it's just how she processes her emotions. I'm Tyler, it's nice to meet you." Tyler says holding out his hand to Elijah.

"Ah, yes. Ellie's werewolf friend." Klaus speaks up with a particularly creepy smile.

"Oh no, are you going to kill me? Ellie said vampires sometimes kill werewolves because we can kill them on the full moon. I swear I have no intention of triggering my curse and I promise I would never bite you. And if you kill me, Ellie would make it life's mission to kill you. So beware." Tyler ramble nervously.

"I have no intention of killing any of Ellie's friends." Klaus says calming the boy.

"What are you're intentions? Ellie hasn't really mentioned why you're in town." Jenna says suspiciously as the Salvatore brothers look to each other.

"Well-" Klaus is interrupted by a loud scream and the sound of breaking glass.

"Should someone check on her?" He asks with an amused expression.

"Naw, she's good. Probably halfway done." Jeremy says and introduces himself.

"Elena speaks very highly of you." Elijah comments making Jeremy smile.

"Yeah, everyone says that when I introduce myself. She likes to exaggerate." He says as Elijah nods.

"Yes. I figured as much when she called you 'the greatest artist the world has ever known." He says as Jeremy face turns pink.

"Hey, I'm Matt and this is my sister Vicki." Matt says gesturing to his sister as Elijah nods.

"Okay. That's over. I broke a whole lotta shit. I will not be paying you back, seeing as how I have no money. Thank you." She say to the Salvatores.

"You're good. It's Zach's stuff anyway." Damon shrugs.

"Where is Zach? Why didn't he have to invite them in?" Bonnie asks nods towards the originals.

"He's away." Damon says innocently making the others narrow their eyes.

"You kill him?" Jeremy asks.

"No." He denies as they still stare at him.

"I didn't. He's away finding his daughter, who was placed up for adoption 18 years ago." He explains as Elena grimaces knowing exactly where line of questioning is headed.

"Why did-" Elena interrupts.

"Who's hungry?" She says loudly pulling Bonnie to the dining room as the others follow.

"Stefan is a wonderful chef!" Elena says pulling out Jenna's seat and and pouring her a glass of wine with a heavy hand.

"Uh, no." Jenna says as Elena pours everyone a drink.

"You are all underage." She says as Elena widens her doe eyes.

"But-" Jenna interrupts.

"No. Turn those off." She says pointing to Elena's eyes making her pout.

"Why don't they work on you? I can usually get anyone to do anything." Elena says.

"Years ago, you used those things to get me to stay up all night and play dress up with you and Jer. You fell asleep in your pancakes the next morning and your mom scolded me for like an hour. Never again." Jenna says making the Gilbert siblings smile and the others laugh.

"Sound like mom." Jeremy says with a sad smile.

"Fine. But for the record, the coming events of this evening will go a lot smoother if everyone is at least tipsy." Elena says setting down the bottle and taking her seat.

"Did you invite us here to tell us why Klaus is in town?" Bonnie asks surprising Elena.

"How did you-" 

"You are not subtle." Bonnie says matter of factly.

"Right. Okay, yeah. That is why I threw this party." She says making Caroline clear her throat as Elena smiles.

"Sorry. That's why Caroline threw this party." Elena corrects as Damon enters the dining room with a glass of suspiciously red juice.

"What is this?" She asked with an amused smile.

"Just, you know. Something to drink." He says as she rolls her eyes.

"Can I talk to you real quick. We'll be right back." Elena says pulling Damon out of the room.

"Damon, stop trying to feed me your blood." Elena says with a laugh as she shakes her head.

"I didn't-" she cuts him off.

"Klaus will kill you. Actually, he'll kill everyone and probably torture Stefan in front of you. And as awesome, ah horrible as that is, I really don't feel like watching anyone I love die." She says.

"Is it happening tonight? Tomorrow? Next week? Do you even know when he's going to show up and literally kill you? You might not come back, Ellie. What are we gonna do without you. You can't die." He says frantically before Elena brings him into a hug.

"I'm not going anywhere. You really think you can get rid of me that easily? I'm Ellie fucking Gilbert. It's gonna take a lot more than some smoking hot hybrid with daddy issues to kill me. Maybe a 2000 year old philandering witch, but that's a bridge we'll cross if we get to it." She says pulling away.

"I'll be fine. So stop trying to dose me." She says leaning forward and kissing his cheek.

"Sorry everyone, he's real needy." Elena says as they reenter the dining room.

"Rude." He mutters taking a seat.

"You gonna tell us why he's here?" Matt asks.

"Yes. Klaus could you come with me." Elena says pulling Klaus out if the room.

"Look, I'm gonna have to really play up how sad the situation is for them to get on board. Okay? Just ignore it." Elena says as he nods.

"Alright guys, this story starts a thousand years ago…" Elena proceeds to tell the tale of the infamous Klaus Mikaelson.

"Well, on the night his mother cursed him, she used a doppelganger named Tatia's blood. So to break the curse, Klaus needs to sacrifice a wolf, a vampire, and a human doppelganger." Elena says wait for them to process the information.

"What the hell."

"Are you kidding me."

"That's not happening."

"I'll cut a bitch!" Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler, and Vicki yell at the same time as Jenna stands abruptly.

"You're gonna kill my niece!" She shouts angrily at Klaus as Elena grimaces.

"Technically, but then-" Jenna interrupts Elena.

"He's going to kill you and we're eating dinner with him!" She shouts tuning her anger on Ellie.

"You were completely right. This was a terrible idea." Elena says to Stefan before turning to her aunt.

"Jen, please sit down. I'm not finished. He wants to break his curse to make hybrids and he can't make hybrids without my human doppelganger blood. So, he has to bring me back. Which he will do with an elixir Elijah had made 500 years ago. I'm gonna be totally fine." She explains in one breath trying to calm everyone.

"Why in the world did you think this whole thing was a good idea?" Jenna asks rhetorically.

"Rem thought we should do it will clue cards and actors like a real murder mystery dinner." Elena says childishly pointing a finger at her brother.

"No. I'm the one who talked her out of doing that." He defends.

"And now he's lying. Where will his delinquentness end?" Elena asked horrified.

"Elena, stop deflecting." Jenna scolds as Jeremy snickers.

"Couldn't take one for the team?" Elena asked as Jeremy just smiles at her.

"Little shit." Elena mutters.

"Look guys, I'm sorry. You know I'm not great with the whole having emotions thing. I thought this would lighten the mood." Elena admits as they smile fondly at her.

"How certain are you that you're gonna come back?" Jenna asks skeptically.

"100 percent. And even if the elixir doesn't work, I'm sure Klaus could threaten to kill off a bunch of witch bloodlines until someone brings be back." Elena guarantees causing Bonnie to raise a brow.

"But not yours. Never yours. And grams could kick his ass." Elena says making Bonnie giggle with a nod.

"I don't just have to do this. I want to. I want to help him." Elena says.

"No offense, but why?" Tyler asks.

"Because, look at him. His eyes are so so heartbreaking. He's a sad husk of a man." Elena exaggerates as Klaus holds out a hand.

"Alright. That's-" Elena cuts him off.

"Look into those sad, sad eyes. Can't you see why I want to help him? So broken." Elena whispers while shaking her head.

"She's right guys, look at him." Caroline says sadly making Elena bite her lip to contain a laugh as Klaus glares daggers at her.

"What a coincidence. I too, have no idea why Ellie would be so willing to help me. Do enlighten us." Klaus says making Elena's eye widen with a gasp.

"You think I'm tricking you." She accuses with an amused smile.

"I didn't say that." He defends.

"You didn't have to. You think I'm lying and what? Trying to kill you?"

"Or perhaps I'm not sure your resurrection is as peril as you've led me to believe." He admits as she puts hand on her chest.

"Never in all my years, have I been so insulted." She states dramatically as he rolls his eyes.

"You want proof? Proof that I wanted you to make your hybrids even if I couldn't be brought back?" She asks with a challenging expression.

"We'll be back, guys. Make Elijah feel welcome. Come on." She says pulling the hybrid out of the house.  
____

"I don't see how bringing me here helps your case." Klaus says as Elena unlocks her storage unit.

"God, would you shut up?" Elena snaps making him push her against the metal door.

"This again?" She asks irritated.

"You really should start fearing me. Even if I can't kill you, you have a pretty long list of people you care about. And what is it you said to the ripper's brother? Ah, yes "I don't feel like watching anyone I love die." He mocks with a grin as she rolls her eyes.

"I don't fear you, because I don't have a reason to, because I'm not planning to ever go against you." She tries to make him understand.

"I don't believe you." He says angrily as she shrugs.

"I don't care." She says simply as he smirks.

"Maybe you are afraid, your heart is beating faster than a hummingbird." He comments smugly.

"It's not from fear." She whisper back with a smirk casting her eyes down towards his hand, loosely placed around her neck.

His smirk falters and his replaced with confusion making her laugh and push him away.

"Come on. Can you stop being you, for like a minute. I have a surprise." She says as he collects himself.

"What is all this?" He asks looking around at her weapons with an impressed expression.

"Just my toys. That's not why we're here." She says walking to the back and opening up a cabinet, retrieving the moonstone.

"Here." She tosses it to him.

"Isn't much of a surprise seeing as how you already said you had it." He comments putting the glorified rock in his pocket.

"That's not what I wanted to show you." She says opening up her freezer and waving him over.

"Blood? What does-"

"My blood, Klaus." She says stunning him as he looks around.

"How long-"

"4 times a year since I was ten. Around 30 pints." She answers.

"How much-"

"About an ounce. If you do the math, its about-"

"450 hybrids." He interrupts with a disbelievingly laugh.

"You did this for me?" He asks staring at her intently.

"It's whatever. Don't flatter yourself." She replies shifting slightly under his intense gaze.

"Why would you- Why?" Is all he can bring himself to ask.

"I don't know. You're kind of important to me. Look, I can't control who I care about." She says getting embarrassed.

"So you believe me now? Because no one would go through all this trouble for now reason. I mean, they made me drink an orange juice everytime I gave blood and I hate orange juice." She says making him laugh.

"Why didn't you just ask for apple?" He asks with a smile making her look to him with wide eyes.

"You can do that?" She asks shocked making him laugh again as he looks around.

"Yeah. You can." He says with a smile


	35. Red Riding Hood

Elena is curled up on the Salvatore's couch reading a book when she feels someone's gaze.

"Hell-"

"Ahhh!" She cuts the voice off with a scream as she chucks her book at the offender.

"O." Klaus finishes with an amused tone as he catches the book.

"You're not a killer clown." Elena says with a relieved sigh as her eyes travel his body.

"No, just the original hybrid trying to sacrifice you." Damon says from from behind Klaus with an unimpressed tone.

"Speaking of, you ready to go, Love?" Klaus asks Elena with a small smile as she nods.

"Yep, let's get me dead." She claps her hands and stands as Damon groans.

"Seriously, Ellie? Could you be a little less psyched? He's literally going to kill you." Damon says as she puts on her shoes.

"You are purposely leaving out the part where I'm resurrected." Elena scolds as Klaus watches the two with amusement.

"Where's the rippah?" Klaus asks looking around as Elena smirks.

"He went with Elijah to get the other sacrifices, don't worry you'll see your BFF later." She says sympathetically as he rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Come on." Klaus says with a huff grabbing her hand.  
____

"Ugh, I walked through a spider web, kill me now." Elena says dramatically as she wipes the web off her.

"Patients, Love." Klaus replies as they come upon the sacrifice site making her send him an smile.

"Hey, 'lijah." Elena flirts as she swings around with her hands behind her back her head tilted as they come upon Elijah, the Martin witches, and Stefan.

"Hello, Elena." He responds with a small amused smile.

"El, you okay?" Stefan asks walking towards her with a worried expression making her smile fondly.

"Yes. I'm fine, Stef. Everything is gonna be fine. I promise." She says while squeezing his hand.

"You guys don't have to stay." Elena says to the Salvatores.

"What? Of course we do." Damon says offended as Stefan nods.

"I don't want you guys to watch me die." Elena tell them sadly.

"Hey, we're here for everything. Even the bad." Stefan says as she lays her head on his shoulder.

Elena watches as the werewolf groans in pain and the vampire looks around frantically.

"What the hell is this?" The soon to be sacrificed vampire yells.

"Hello, there." Elena says cheerfully as she makes her way over to the vampire.

"I'm Ellie, doppelganger sacrifice. And you're Rob? Bobby? Robert? Craig? The vampire sacrifice. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but it's really not." She says as he glares with a look of realization.

"Oh, good. You remember me. I was worried the amount of vervain we've pumped you with would scramble your brain a bit." She says with a teasing smile.

"What did you do to me." He asks angrily.

"Killed you. Well, turned you. But it's all the same, considering you're going to be dead soon, anyway." Elena says as she makes and L with her finger and squints her eye.

"You crazy bitch-" Elena cuts him off as she takes a running start, kicking him the face.

"Whoo! Yes! I knew those kick off lessons would come in handy. Thank you, Ty." She cheers happily as the vampire groans with blood flowing down his face.

"Ms. Gilbert." Elijah says, reprimanding lightly as Klaus and the Salvatores look on amused.

"No, it's all good, Eli. He deserves it. Promise." She says before turning to the vampire.

"Do you want to tell the nice man why you're here, or should I?" She asks sweetly as he continues to glare.

"You see, Damon, Stefan, and I, were out cruise'n for pervs to turn for Klaus, when we heard the unmistakable sound of a tiny dicked asshole, beating on some poor, helpless woman." Elena says glaring at the sad excuse of a man.

"Would you like to tell him who the woman was? No? Okay." Elena says with another kick making him groan again.

"So we run over, pull him off her, and compel her to explain the situation. Lo and behold, we find that the woman's not only his wife, but his pregnant one." Elena says looking to Elijah as he furrows his brows.

"Yeah, so you cool with this?" She asks as he nods.

"Baby's fine, much to your dissmay, I assume." Elena says coolly to the dick as she walks back over to the Salvatore brothers.

"You get it all out?" Damon asks her in an amused tone.

"No." She sighs sadly.

"Well at least you get to watch him die." Stefan tries to cheer her up, but she only shrugs.

"I guess."

"How about we go kill some assholes when you wake up?" Damon offers as she looks to him, hopefully.

"Really?" She asks making them both nod.

"You guys are the best." Elena says with a smile.  
____

After Klaus killed the Werewolf and the dickhead. He walks over to Elena.

"It's time." He says sighing slightly when she smiles brightly at him.

"Okay, one second. Turn around." She says spinning her finger around as he looks to her confused, but complies.

"Okay, now I'm ready." She says making him turn back around.

"Really?" He asks with a amused expression as she laughs, flapping the cape to her red hood.

"I thought it was fitting, my lord." She curtseys teasingly as he chuckles lightly.

"Thank you, Ellie." He says genuinely, making her smile.

"Don't mention it." She says as her smile turns teasing.

"Alright, enough chit chat. Let's get this show on the road, I made plans after." She says making him bark out a surprised laugh and look to her baffled.

"You're very strange human, Ellie." He says with furrowed brows making her laugh.

"Are you just figuring that out now?" She asks as they make their way to the alter.

"Hey, just incase I don't come back." Elena says before bringing him into a passionate kiss as he stiffens before kissing her back while Elijah looks away and Stefan clears his throat.

"Seriously, Ellie. He's about to kill you. Like literally this very moment." Damon calls out as he throws his hands up.

"Okay. Proceed." Elena says breathlessly after pulling away.

Klaus smiles sadly at her before tilting her head, exposing her neck and gently bites making her gasp.

The last thing Ellie remembers is Klaus holding her up as her knees buckle underneath her and her vision blurs.  
____

Elena sits up with a gasp bringing her hand to her throat only to feel nothing.  
She looks down and sees her now transparent body.

Remembering the last time she looked like this, she looks around frantically.

"Calm down, Elena." A familiar loud voice says, not aiding in calming her.

"I remember you. What's going on? Why am I here?" Elena asks with fear in her voice.

"You're dead." The voice says casually making Elena's nearly invisible jaw drop.

"Like, dead dead?" She asks hoping for a 'psych, just kidding.'

"Yes, exactly like, dead dead." 

"That sucks a fat one." Elena says with a dejected sigh.

"Do you remember what happened?" The loud voice asks making Elena recount her last memories.

"Umm… I was with Klaus. Yeah, Klaus. I was with Klaus. We kissed. Oooh, there was tongue. That was awesome! Go me!" Elena cheers happily trying to high five herself only for her hands to go through each other.

"What else?" The voice ask in an impatient tone.

"He drained me. But, I took the elixir. Shit! It didn't work, did it?" Elena asks with a groan.

"No, it did." The voice assures calming Elena.

"Sick! Thank… you, I guess." Elena says in a confused tone.

"You're welcome. And, I'm impressed. You know, I've been watching you, you've proven to be very… entertaining." The loud voice says after a pause.

"Yeah…" Elena trails off with a strange tone.

"What?" The loud voice asks.

"Nothing." Elena says quickly.

"Say it." The loud voice says annoyed.

"I don't know what-" 

"Just say it." The voice demands.

"Doppelganger? Seriously? And Elena Gilbert. Not even Kat? Really? I have no powers. I can't turn into an animal. I can't even compel people. A baby, you dropped me into a actual new born baby!" Elena complains in one breath.

"…" The loud voice remains silent.

"It just wasn't very cool." Elena says in a quieter tone than before.

"You are the most well informed being in your universe. What more could you possibly want?" The voice asks with disbelief.

"I don't know, all I'm saying is some magic would have been nice." Elena tries to shrug.

"Seriously? You got to save all your friends, you're gonna get Katerina Petrova's freedom, plus you got to play out your little hybrid fantasy. And you want magic? So what? So you can-"

"So I can light my joints with a flame coming out of the tip of my finger, yes. Okay. Is that what you wanted me to admit?" Elena asks accusatorily.

"You ungrateful little shit! The loud voice yells.

"Hey!" Elena yells back, offended.

"I saved you from an afterlife you would have hated! A boring, peaceful, lonely place that would've driven you mad. I put you in a world you loved and gave you a real family, one like you never had before and you're mad because I didn't give you pyrokinesis?" The voice says with a disbelieving scoff.

"I can't protect them!" Elena yells.

"I'm human. I have to rely on everyone else to protect me and I hate it. I can't protect my friends." Elena admits quietly.

"I'm sorry you feel I cheated you, but I put you in a position to fix things to your liking. Also, I like that Jeremy kid, I thought he needed someone."

"That's pretty nice, I guess. Look, I'm sorry for being ungrateful. I'm really happy with my afterlife and I'm thankful to you for giving me another chance." Elena says honestly.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" The voice asks.

"Not sure. Maybe college? I'll probably never be able to turn. So, who knows? Maybe I'll try to recreate Tessa's immortality spell." Elena shrugs.

"Speaking of, what have you got planned for Silas?"

"No clue. If I leave things be, hunters will eventually wake him, bringing hell on earth. And if I wake him myself and tell him about Amara, he'll just kill her and bring down the otherside to be with her."

"Well, you've got some time to figure it out. In the meantime, we have a problem." 

"What?" Elena asks with wide eyes.

"The elixir was created with dark magic that comes with very serious consequences." The voice informs.

"Like what?"

"You're probably gonna be haunted by the otherside until you're driven to madness, most likely resulting in your suicide." The voice tells her in a less than comforting tone.

"Fuuu-uuck, that doesn't sound good." Elena whines.

"Certainly not."

"Uh, if you have a solution, feel free to share with the class." Elena says panicky.

"Well, I do like watching you." The voice admits.

"Creepy." Elena mutters.

"I'd probably be bored if you died."

"Real nice." Elena mutters sarcastically.

"Alright, I think I got it." The voice says after a moment.

"Really? Cool, whatcha got?" Elena asks hopefully.

"Sorry, you're about to wake up." 

"What? No, do not-"

"Goodbye." The voice interrupts before Elena's world goes black.  
______

"Her heart has started." Elena hears Elijah as she tries to open her eyes.

"Hey. You're okay. Oh, my God. I thought you were really dead." She sees her little brother standing over her with relieved eyes.

"How long?" Elena rasps out, bringing a hand to her neck as she looks around, finding herself in her living room

"Since last night. It's noon now." Elijah says as his eyes trail over her completely healed neck.

"Were you worried about me?" Elena asks teasingly making him smile.

"Maybe a little." He responds making her laugh.

"You done flirting?" Damon asks as he walks into the room with a glass of water.

"Never. Did you stay all night?" Elena asks looking behind him, seeing Stefan.

"We both did. We wanted to watch over you. For what it's worth, you make a beautiful corpse." He jokes as he hands her the water.

"Right back at you, ocean eyes." She says with a wink before taking a sip. 

"Thank you both for being here, but me and 'lijah gotta go find Klaus." Elena says standing up and losing her balance making Jeremy catch her before she falls.

"Woah, slow down there. You were dead five minutes ago. You need to rest" Damon says walking closer to her.

"Look, I really appreciate the concern. But Klaus is out there, running around on all fours and if you stop me from seeing that, I will resent you for the rest of my life." Elena tells him honestly before regaining her balance.

"Exactly, he's a wolf right now, he could hurt you." Stefan says making her laugh.

"How hilarious would it be if mauls me to death after all this effort to bring me back." Elena says as they all look at her unimpressed.

"Kidding, obviously. Let's go, Eli." Elena says grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room.  
____

As Elijah and Elena trek through the woods, they hear a loud growl.

Elena immediately runs toward it, ignoring all signs of danger and Elijah's warnings to stop.

"Elena, please me careful." He says walking behind before she stops.

"Oh. My. Gods." Elena says quietly staring at the blood covered wolf.

"He is so fucking cute." She says walking closer with her hand out making the wolf growl and stand in attack position.

"I know you're fully aware, Klaus. If you bite me, I will punch you in the snout." Elena warns as he stops growling.

"Elena, I do not think that is a good idea." Elijah says as Elena kneels in front of wolf Klaus.

"Aww. Who's a good boy? Are you a good boy?" Elena baby talks scratching behind his ear making him growl again.

"Are you covered in the blood of the innocent? Yes, you are." Elena ignores him as he huffs and lays his head in her lap.

"Elijah, please take a picture. Right now." Elena says throwing her phone to him as Klaus looks to her in, what can only be described as betrayal.

Elena throws up a peace sign as Elijah snaps a few photos, because of course.

"So, as much as you're enjoying this whole Marmaduke thing, if you could turn back, that would be much appreciated. We need to talk." She says running her hand through his fur.

"Promise I won't peak." Elena says crossing her fingers behind her back.

"Elijah, could you?" Elena asks as Elena tosses Klaus the bag he's carrying and turns around.

"That was a amazing." Klaus says after shifting back while putting on his clothes.

"I agree. I always knew you you'd be an amazing kisser." Elena says before laughing as he scoops her into a hug.

"Thank you. You have no idea what this feels like. Thank you, Ellie." He says setting her down and smiling at her.

"You're are more than welcome, Klaus. I'm glad you're finally free." She tells him honestly before her face becomes serious.

"Alright. We need to talk." Elena says as he raises a brow.

"I want Katherine's freedom." She states bluntly.

"Absolutely not." Klaus says without hesitation making her rolls her eyes.

"Come on, seriously. What's the point of hunting her? You've moved on to better, brighter things." Elena tries to stroke his ego as he shakes his head.

"It's more about the sentiment at this point. But if it really means that much, make me an offer. What would you give in return? " Klaus asks cockily as she raises a brow.

"Are you propositioning me, if so, I accept." Elena replies eagerly making him roll his eyes.

"No, Ellie, I'm not. But, you are in a very unique position. Maybe if you share some of the secrets you keep in that pretty little head, I might feel inclined to forgive Katerina for her sins against me." Klaus says, giving a fantastic example of his God complex.

"What about your family? " Elena asks surprising him and Elijah.

"What about them?" He asks with confusion etching his face

"I want you to wake them." Elena states.

"I can't, Ellie. As I'm sure you know, it's still not safe." Klaus says as she furrows her brows while bitting her lip.

"Okay, I got it. If you agree to never hunt, seek out, or kill Katerina Petrova, I will not only give you daddy dearest's location, but also a way to kill him." Elena says as he narrows his eyes.

"Why on earth would I be willing to go after Mikael when he's tried to kill me every single time he's seen me over the last 1000 years?" He asks disbelievingly.

"Well, Mr. Big Bad Wolf, because he is currently desiccated and lying in a tomb." She says cheerfully.

"I want something else." Klaus says after a moment of silence as they walk through the woods.

"I knew you were propositioning me." Elena teases.

"Come with me." He says simply making her furrow her brows.

"I'll be leaving to make hybrids and now, kill my father. Come with me."

"Why?" Elena asks with a disbelieving laugh.

"I owe you, Ellie. And I can see how bored you are. I can understand what it feels like to be stuck in monotony. And if the excitement that burns in your eyes when something unexpected happens is anything to go by, you crave spontaneity." He says stunning her completely.

"Damn, I'm just an open book, aren't I?" She says with a disappointed sigh making the brothers smile at her.

"I'd also like to keep an eye on you and possibly pick your brain about any packs you may know of, but mostly the boredom thing." He grins as she laughs.

"So if I come with you? You'll pardon Kat?" Elena asks Klaus.

"Yes." Klaus confirms as a smile stretches across her face.

"I'm in-"

"This doesn't seem appropriate. What about your academics?" Elijah asks with concern.

"Oh no, I'm good. I can test out, I already know everything anyway." Elena shrugs.

"Then why did you stay? What's the point?" Klaus asks.

"Because, handsome, the only thing larger than my intellect is my ego. And always beating Sarah Fell for top of the class gives me an immense pleasure, only once replicated by a red headed women's studies major, who did this thing with her tongue and zucchini-squash hybrid." Elena finishes with wistful smile as Klaus smirks in amusement.

"Okay." Elijah grimaces making Elena sigh.

"You're gonna have to get used to it, Eli. I communicate in dirty jokes, it's my language." Elena tells him sympathetically as he nods.

"So it's a plan. We leave and kill papa OG, make some hybrids, then wake your siblings." Elena says as they nod making her bounce on the heels of her feet.

"Oh my god, you should build a house here. Oh, I can't wait to meet Kol. And Bex. And I guess Finn, I don't see us clicking, but we should find Sage, she's really hot." Elena rambles with excitement making the brother smile at each other before Elena gasps in horror.

"What?" Klaus asks with concern.

"Jenna's gonna kill me." She says with realization as the brothers both look to her with wide, fearful eyes.  
____

"Hey, it's Ellie. Just calling to say, I told you so. I did it. Step one complete. Time to find Nadia. Congratulations on your freedom, Kat. Hope to see you soon." Elena leaves Katherine a voice mail with a victorious smile playing across her face.


	36. Sacrificer/Sacrifice-e Bonding

_Elena slowing comes to with a groan as she blinks the sleep out of her eyes and looks around, causing confusion to overtake her features._

_“What the hell did I do last night?” She mutters as she stands and looks around, finding herself in the middle of a deserted road._

_When lying back down, closing her eyes and trying to go back to sleep, while hoping things would resolve themselves was a bust, Elena stands back up and decides to explore a little._

_Walking further down the road, Elena comes across what looks to be an abandoned warehouse surrounded by fog._

_“Come on, Ellie. Turn around. You are not final girl materiel. You’ve had far too many sexual partners. If you go in there, you will 100 percent be serial killed.” Elena tries to talk herself out of it as she continues to walk in the direction of what is sure to be some bad rip off of a 80’s torture porn antagonist._

_As she walks closer, Elena notices a translucent barrier in front of the warehouse’s entrance._

_“That’s not ominous.” Elena mutters sarcastically bringing her hand up to the distorted veil before quickly retracting it and turning around._

_“Nope. No thank you.” She says while shaking her head before a curious expression takes over her face and she peaks behind her._

_“Ah, screw it.” She exclaims before thrusting her body through the veil._

_“Oh.” She says with disappointment when she just comes out the other side of the barrier in the warehouse and not dramatically transported anywhere._

_Walking deeper into the building Elena starts to feel a strong pull to the farthest corner._

_When she no longer feels it, she assumes she’s reached her destination. Looking around, Elena tries to find something to break to lock on the door of the office that the pull lead her to._

_After finding a gold vase, that’s probably more expensive then her house, she uses it to break the handle off the door._

_After dropping the vase, that’s she now knows was clay and just painted gold, it shatters on the concrete ground as Elena grimaces with slight remorse, before kicking the door open._

_As she walks into the room she notices a large rectangular crate sitting in the middle of the room._

_As Elena groans loudly, right before giving up and giving that ‘going back to sleep’ plan another shot, the crate magically falls apart and reveals a concrete box._

_Letting her curiosity outweigh her inherent indifference, Elena makes her way back over to the box and begins prying it open. After using all her strength and most of her mental energy, she finally moves the door and lets it crash to the ground._

_This time, Elena does not grimace with slight remorse, too distracted by her desiccated mirror image to care._

_“Crazy pants?” She asks out loud with bewilderment lacing her tone and wide doe eyes._

Elena shoots up with a loud gasp as she frantically looks around her room as her heart pounds in her chest.

“The fuck?” She asks out loud to no one in particular with furrowed brows.

* * *

“Alrighty, folks. All those for Rob Zombie’s Firefly Trilogy consisting of, House of 1000 corpses, The Devil’s rejects and 3 from Hell, say aye.” Elena declares to the room filled with her closest friends for their annual Post-Halloween Horror Movie Marathon.

“Aye.” Tyler, Vicki, Stefan, and Jeremy shout their reply confidently.

“All those for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Trilogy, say aye.”

“Aye.” Damon, Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline answer less loudly making Elena nods and look back to the movies they picked.

“No one wants to watch the Halloween series? Shocker.” She comments sarcastically.

“Ok, you’re the tie breaker. What’ll it be?” Tyler asks Elena with his fingers crossed and trying to imitate her puppy eyes.

Elena looks around the room at her friends hopeful faces and feels a flash of guilt causing Jeremy to send her a sympathetic smile. 

Ever since Elena told him about her deal with Klaus, he has been strangely supportive, even going as far as helping her pack her bags and organize this get together to tell their friends.

”You know what? Let’s just turn this into an all nighter. We’ll watch them all.” She says not being able to disappoint any of her friends, knowing how sad they’ll be about her leaving.

As they cheer Damon finally voices the question that’s been on his mind since Elena announced his home would be hosting this little get together.

“Where the hell does ‘Post-Halloween Horror Movie Marathon’ come from?” He asks making the rest smile or laugh.

“Once upon a moon,” Elena starts dramatically, “seven small children pulled all their Halloween candy together and during the sugar rush of a lifetime, created what would soon become the ‘Post-Halloween Horror Movie Marathon’, the greatest movie viewing experience this world has ever seen.” She finishes with a faraway look as the others laugh.

“It’s not Halloween anymore.” Damon reminds her as she looks to him with pity.

“Aw, ocean eyes. You poor, little dumb dumb. It’s called ‘Post-Halloween’ for a reason. Meaning after Halloween. Eventually our parents caught on, then we were too old to trick or treat, but too young to go to the store for candy.” Elena says before Tyler cuts in,

“Then we had the candy flavored booze faze.” He says as Elena nods and everyone except Jeremy and the Salvatores grimace with disgust.

“Not our finest years.” Caroline says with a shake of her head as the others nod in agreement.

“But then our dark days were over. Now we pick a day that’s good for us all, buy the leftover Halloween candy from the grocery store, and pick a movie series.” Elena informs as Vicki smirks.

“Except, Chucky.” She says making the group laugh as Tyler turns red and rolls his eyes.

“Of course, never Chucky.” Elena sends a mock sympathetic look to Tyler as the brothers look to them confused.

“We watched all the Chucky movies on the first movie night. Ty had nighttime so bad he had to stay at our house for a week because he didn’t want to leave my side.” Elena tells them with a smile at the memory of little Tyler clinging to her like a life raft.

“You’re leaving out the best part.” Jeremy says with devious smirk as the others try and fail to contain their laughter.

“He was fine after the second night, but the next morning Jeremy placed all of my dolls around the room and and one next to his head, so when he woke up he was staring directly in it’s eyes.” Elena says as the others laugh and pat Tyler on the back.

“Yeah, he didn’t get much sleep for the rest of the week. In hindsight, 8 is probably a little too young for killer dolls.” She says with a thoughtful expression.

“But enough about the amazing adventures of the Baby Scooby Gang, would you Mr. Salvatores, like to officially join this post holiday tradition and gorge on candy not technically expired, but should have been eaten a month ago and watch horror movies that range from torture porn, to foreign flicks, to low budget indie films with the most amazing group of people to ever coexist?” Elena asks while on her knee in front of the brothers as they try to keep a straight face.

“You bet you’re perfect ass, we do!” Damon exclaims enthusiastically as she jumps up and down will cheering.

“Then let the festivities commence!” She says as they all make themselves comfortable on the couch or floor.

“What’s different about you?” Bonnie asks when her arm brushes Elena’s as they sit next to each other on the couch.

“I don’t know. You tell me, you’re the witch.” Elena says with amusement as Bonnie shakes her head.

“I don’t know, you feel... different.” She tries to find the right words to describe Elena’s new aura.

“Like?”

“Like you’re not here, but also are here?” Bonnie explains confusing Elena and the rest of the group.

“Really?” Elena asks with furrowed brows.

“Yeah, it’s weird. Maybe a side effect of the resurrection?” Bonnie offers as Elena’s eyes widen, remembering the voice’s warning.

“Damn, I knew I was forgetting something important.” She mutters as Damon and Stefan’s eyes snap to her.

“What do you mean ‘you forgot something important?” Damon asks sternly as she bits her lip, nervously.

“Well, when is was... not alive, I may have had a rather important conversation with some kind of deity.” She says as they all look to her with shocked expressions.

“And what exactly did you forget?” Jeremy asks warily.

“Umm... just that there was a slight possibility, I would be haunted but the other side, driving me insane, ultimately leading to my suicide.” She says quietly without making eye contact.

“But, before I woke up, they said they had a solution and that all would be well. So, whatever Cinnabon’s spidey sences are tingling about, must be the result.” Elena informs with a definitive nod.

“And when say you ‘forgot’, do you mean like it was literally wiped from your memory until this very moment? Or ‘forgot’ like you forget to do the dishes?” Damon asks, confident in the answer.

“I never ‘forget’ to do the dishes, Ocean Eyes. I just don’t do them.” She tells him as he shuts his eyes with a sigh and rubs his temples.

“That’s not-“ Elena interrupts him.

“This really explains my dream from last night.” She says with realization as they all look to her with apprehension.

“And what did you dream about?” Stefan asks.

“This super hot chick.” She shrugs with a smirk and somehow literally everyone knew exactly who she was talking about.

“So, to recap, a god told you that you would be haunted by the other side, and now you’re having dreams about the anchor to said other side?” Caroline asks as Elena nods in conformation.

“What does this mean?” Caroline asks turning to Bonnie who only shrugs with a worried expression mirroring her’s.

“Hey, everything's fine. And, I was gonna wait till we were all sugar high, but seeing as how the moods already ruined, I need to tell you all something important.” Elena states as the all nod.

“Okay, you know how I think Katherine got dealt some really shit cards and that her life story is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever heard?” She starts with a pleading tone.

“Oh no, what did you do?” Damon asks with concern.

“Nothing crazy, I just have to leave with Klaus in a few day to make hybrids.” She shrugs nonchalantly as all but the Gilbert’s jaws drop.

“How long?” Tyler asks as he tries to mask the anger he feels.

“I don’t know, maybe a couple months, maybe longer.” She tells him as he sketches his jaw and stands.

“Absolutely not.” 

“Ty’s right. You’re not leaving.” Vicki says sternly as she smiles sadly at them.

“Guys, deal’s made. But look, Kat’s free and all I have to do is hang out with Klaus for a little while. And he’s not a complete monster, I’m sure if you need me, he wouldn’t stop me from coming home.” 

“I think you guys are being dicks.” Caroline says surprising everyone as Elena smiles.

“You know how hard it is for her here, she’s always bored and making plans to get away. I’m pretty sure the only reason she has stayed in this town as long as she has is for all of us. Ellie loves to travel, see new things, and she’s got that weird respect thing for Klaus. She’ll have fun. So, stop being selfish and congratulate her on accomplishing another one of her goals.” Caroline finishes her rant by bring Elena into a hug and whispering her goodbyes.

“Care’s right. This is the kind of thing she loves.” Matt tells his sister and best friend before bringing Elena into a hug.

Everyone congratulates her and makes her promise to call daily, Elena notices the silent looks the vampire brothers are sending each other.

“Hey, you good?” She asks them both as they nod and smile.

“Yep, just fine. Let’s get this movie marathon started.” Damon says with and obviously fake smile while patting his brothers shoulder.

“Who’s go the licorice?” He asks the room as Matt tosses him the bag.

“Just so we’re clear, nobody here is gross enough to like those, we only have them because Ellie requested them for you.” Bonnie says as Damon looks to Elena with a smile that’s much more real this time.

As Elena sits back down on the couch she lets out a relieved breath, happy she has such amazing friends.

“When are gonna tell Jenna?” Bonnie asks making Elena groan and lay her head back.

“Dammit, why’d you have to remind me?” She whines making them all laugh.

* * *

“Okay be respectful, make eye contact, but not too much, and don’t do that really intense staring thing you do, and for the love of god, do not smirk at her.” Elena instructs as she meets Klaus on her front porch before he knocks.

“I can handle your guardian, Ellie. You’re being dramatic.” He responds with an eye roll.

“First, hello pot, it’s nice to meet you, I’m kettle. Second, I’m not being dramatic, you didn’t see her face when I told her about this trip. She went all blank and said to invite you for dinner. If you were human, I have no doubt she would be putting rat poison in your pad thai.” Elena whispers back while looking behind her.

“Okay, Ellie. Any more advice you’d like to share?” He panders.

“This is not advice, these are rules. And lastly and most importantly, you are in no way, shape, or form allowed to hurt her. Even if she slaps you, just apologize for your face being in the way and move on.” Elena demands as he looks at her like she’s completely lost it.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly.” She responds as he sighs.

“Fine, but you need to relax. I’m very old, and I have lots of experience meeting the parents.” He smirks before turning towards the the door and gesturing for her to walk ahead.

“She’s gonna eat him alive.” She mutters while shaking her head and invites him inside.

“Hello, Jenna. It’s good see you again. Thank you for having me over for dinner.” Klaus immediately turns on the charm as he takes her hand and kisses the back of it.

“Hmm hm.” She says unimpressed while staring blankly at him.

“Sit.” She demands as she pulls out a chair and points tot he seat while Elena giggles and whispers to Jeremy,

“Good boy.” While Jeremy smiles at her and Klaus sends her a look.

“First thing’s first, I don’t like you.” Jenna states surprising Klaus.

“Ooh, coming in hot, Jen.” Elena comments.

“I think that you’re immature, especially for someone you’re age. I think you use fear to control those around you and I think you have a complex that could rival Zeus himself.” Jenna says before Klaus tries to defend himself.

“I don’t-“ Jenna cuts him off.

“That being said, Ellie really cares for you. She thinks that you only do the things you do, to get power so you can protect your family. She says that you weren’t always like this, that years of betrayal and heartbreak have made you a cold and callous person, who only sees others as pawns. From a future therapist’s point of view, I can understand this. But from a current guardian’s, you can probably see why I might have some concerns about my 17 year old niece going away with you, alone and unprotected, for an indefinite amount of time.” Jenna finishes with as deep breath as she leans back in her seat and raises a brow at him.

“Yes, I can. I doubt anything I say will put you at ease, but I should tell you, I have had every opportunity to kill, not only everyone in this house, but every single one of her friends. There was no one to stop me. I could have killed you all, brought her back, and kept her as a walking, talking, blood blood for the rest of her life.” Jenna interrupts with a deadly glare.

“You’re right, that doesn’t put me at ease.”

“But I didn’t. I could have and I didn’t. I wasn’t even tempted. I don’t want to hurt Ellie, and by extension, the people she loves. Your niece has given me a chance to have everything I have ever wanted for the last thousand years. There is a very short list of people I hold in high regard, and Ellie made the top of it the moment she showed me her storage. And ending the life of a girl who spent a very large amount of time uncomfortable, all for the sake of someone she’s never met, not even I would be that cruel. As for unprotected, let me assure you that there has never been and never will be another person more guarded than your niece.” Klaus tells her honestly as her glare subsides but her eyes stay narrowed.

“Fine. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re making her leave with you. I understand that she’s paying a price and I wont be able to talk you out of it. But I can sure as hell lay some ground rules. One, I do not have control over my niece’s body and she has every right to do with it whatever pleases, but if you touch in her anyway she is not comfortable with, I will destroy you. I’m a psychology major, I will get to the root of of your deepest insecurities , and use them against you.” Jenna promises him.

“Mommy issues.” Elena says through a cough as Jeremy laughs beside her and Klaus glares.

“Two, you will feed her three times a day, everyday. You will have to remind her, she gets distracted and forgets. Three, this is for you Ellie, you will call every single day and give me your exact location and the name of the hotel you’re staying in. And if you don’t, I will call the police and have you reported missing.” Jenna says turning to Elena as she smile and nods.

“Of course. Anything else?” Elena asks teasingly as Jenna brings a finger to her chin.

“Yes. Number four, have fun and take lots of pictures.” She tells her with a smile as Elena jumps up and down cheering.

“Yes! You know, I was kinda excepting Ms. Bennett to jump out and try to kill him.” Elena admits as she hugs her aunt.

“I tried, she wouldn’t take my call.” Jenna jokes making Elena giggle.

“Thank you, Jen. You’re the best! I promise to call.” Elena says before turning to Klaus.

“You good with all that?” She asks him a he nods with a small smile.

“Cool. Sooo... wanna help me pack?” 

* * *

"Alright. That's the last bag." Elena says as she slams the trunk shut and turns to her brother.

"You've been so cool about this, Rem. Thank you. I'm really gonna miss you." She tells him as she brings him into a hug.

When she goes to pull away, he won't let her go.

"Uh, Rem? You know, I can't leave if you don't let go." She says with amusement as he tightens his grip.

"You're not leaving." He says in an emotionless voice as she pries herself out of his arms.

"What?" She asks confused as he stares at her with determination.

"You can't leave me." He says simply before grabbing her hand and trying to pull her back to the house.

"Rem? Remy, let go. What is going on with you? You were totally fine 10 minutes ago." She tells him.

"I changed my mind. Go inside, I'll get your bags." He says with a smile as he walks back towards Klaus's truck.

"Problem, mate?" Klaus asks the teen with concern as Jeremy smiles and pats his shoulder.

"Nope. Everything's cool. But, slight change of plans. She won't be leaving with you." He replies as Elena stands there, shocked.

"Rem, I have to go with him. Remember? I made a deal. Are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine, Ellie. But I think I finally processed the fact that you're leaving and I can't have that. So I'm gonna get your bags and we are gonna go back inside and eat lunch like every other day." He says with a nod as Klaus looks to Elena with a look that reads 'what the fuck do we do?'

"Hey, buddy. I'm really sorry you just realized it, but I have to leave with him. Why don't you go in and talk to Jenna, then you can call me, okay?" She says in a soft tone as he drops the bags he got from the trunk.

"Nope. You're not leaving." He says before walking towards her and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Klaus. Find someone else's sister to kidnap." He says as Elena dangles from his shoulder and sends Klaus an apologetic looks.

"Hey, maybe put me down so we can talk about this."

"No thank you."

"Now, Remy." She demands making him stop and set her back down as she looks at him sympathetically.

"You know I have to go." She says softly.

"I promised Jen to call everyday and you can call me whenever you want." She tells him as he shakes his head.

"You won't pick up, you barely remember to charge your phone now." He says as Elena smiles.

"Fine. Klaus let me have your phone." She says making him raise his brow before tossing it to her before she drop calls Jeremy.

"There. Now you have his number and if I don't answer, you can call him. And he doesn't answer then just assume I'm dead." She says as his eyes widen.

"Kidding. But seriously, you can call me anytime and I will pick up immediately. Klaus could be about to make a move and I would stop him just answer you." She mock whisper the last part.

"Really?" He asks shocked making her hug him.

"Really." She whispers.

"I'm gonna miss you." He tells her sadly making her heart clench.

"I'm gonna miss you too. But, I'll be back before you know it. In the mean time, I'll send tons of pictures and have Caroline throw lots of 'we miss Ellie' parties." She says making him laugh and pull her tighter.

"Okay. And Klaus, if anything happens to her, no one will ever find your body." He says serious as Elena smiles proudly and Klaus nods with an amused expression.

"Bye, Remy. And just a little parting advice, don't threaten vampires while I'm gone." She tells him patting his cheek and getting in the car.

"You okay?" Klaus asks her softly as she wipes a tear off her cheek while watching her brother wave through the rear veiw mirror.

"Yeah, let's just hope Damon doesn't get that emotional." She jokes as he grabs her hand, offering her silent comfort.

* * *

"What's all this?" Elena asks with confusion as she notices the packed bags sitting next to the Salvatores.

"We're coming with you." Stefan says with a smile as Damon nods and Elena's jaw drops.

"What are you talking about? You can't- you guys have lives here." Elena stutters out as the brother smile at each other.

"El, we have no reason to stay here without you. I only stayed in town to get to know, and now that I have, I'm not letting you go." Stefan tells her with a shrug.

"And we're a package deal nowadays. Plus, I love you, so let hit the road." Damon says nonchalantly making Elena laugh and shake her head.

"You guys know this isn't a road trip right? I'm going to pay a price. I doubt he'll let me bring along friends." Elena says as Damon smirks.

"Really? Because I believe his exact words when we asked were 'whatever makes her happy." He mimics Klaus's accent as she giggles.

"Oh my god, seriously? You guys are coming?" She asks with excitement as they nod making her start bouncing on her heels.

"Holy shit! We are gonna have so much fun!" She says as she tackles them into a group hug.

* * *

"Hey, pull over here." Elena says to Klaus, jumping out of the truck when he stops at Wickery bridge.

"Where did you get those" Klaus asks as he follows Elena to the cab of the truck and sees her trying to pick up two gas cans.

"I took them from the Salvatores garage." She says turning to him.

"Why? What are you doing?" He asks.

"Premeditated arson. You know, a little sacrificer/sacrifice-e bonding. Whaddya say?" Elena asks with a crazy look in her eye as Klaus smiles fondly at her. 

"Absolutely not!" Stefan shouts from the truck making Elena roll her eyes and Klaus nod.

"I agree with the former ripper. Back in the car." He says gesturing to with his head to the truck.

"Well that's a shame. I was really hoping to get rid of all this white oak, but you know what? You're right. Let's just go." Elena says with a smirk as she walks past him making him grab her arm to stop her.

"What did you just say?" He asks with shock written across his face.

"To make a long story short, there was a white oak sapling, this bridge is made out of it. So, I propose we burn it to a crisp, after you take some to end Mikael, of course." Elena says as Klaus looks to her with frustration.

"What else are you keeping in that pretty little head of yours?" He whispers.

"Mostly inappropriate jokes." She whispers back before turning around and trying to pick up the gas cans.

"No, it's okay, I got it. Gotta love doppelganger strength." She says sarcastically as she glares playfully at Klaus, snapping him out of his daze 

After Klaus and the Salvatores pour the gasoline all over the bridge, they step back and Elena pulls out her zippo and throws it on the bridge.

As they all watch it go up in flames, Elena pouts.

"I really liked that lighter." She says as Klaus turns to her with amusement.

"Then why did you throw it?"

"I thought it would be cool." She admits with a shrug as they laugh.

"It was." Damon assures making her smile brightly.

"Awesome. Will you get me a new one?" She asks Klaus who nods with a smile.

"Of course." 

* * *

"But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts

She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers

Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find

That what your looking for has been here the whole." Elena, Damon, and Stefan sing/scream along to the radio as Klaus clenches his jaw and tightens his hands around the steering wheel.

"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you

Been here all along, so why can't you see?

You belong with me-" Klaus hits a button, turning off the radio.

"I changed my mind, they can't come." He says with irritation while glaring at Elena.

"No take backs, puppy chow. Boop." Elena says bopping his nose before turning the radio back on.

"You belong with me-" They are interrupted again as Elena’s phone rings making her smile and turn off the music.

"Miss me already, baby brother?" She asks teasingly as she answers.

"Of course. Hey, I know this is crazy, but you didn't set Wickery bridge on fire before you left town right?" He asks with a laugh.

"…"

"Ellie?" He asks with disbelief as she remains silent.

"Wow, I'm not even gone an hour and the town's already on fire? What will you do with out me?" She asks rhetorically before hanging up the phone and turning around to face the brothers.

The three of them bust out laughing as Klaus's lips twitch at the sight of them through the rear view mirror.


	37. Dust Vac

"Beatles." Stefan says from the backseat, making Elena scan her notebook and look to him.

"Nope. Already on here. Who else?" She asks as he furrows his brows.

"Stooges." Damon says confidently, as Elena nods with a smile and writes down the name.

"What do you think?" Elena asks as she holds the notebook up to Klaus as he drives.

"I don't think this is necessary. Kol has never had a problem acclimating to the modern world post dagger." Klaus says looking back to the road as she snorts.

"If by acclimate, you mean go on killing sprees and frolic around with witches, I'm aware. But I have it on good authority, my own super powers, that he loves modern day music. That's why you bought him this iPod. I'm gonna put tons of music on here for him." Elena says holding up the iPod as Klaus looks to her confused.

"I didn't buy that."

"You're credit card did." Elena mutters back as he raises a brow.

"Excuse me-" Damon interrupts with a head shake.

"Don't." He says making Klaus scoff.

"Do you just let her walk all over you?" He asks making eye contact with the brothers through the rearview mirror.

"In boots she bought with my stolen card." Damon Admits, making Elena giggle and turn to him with a flirty smile.

"You love it." She says making him smirk at her.

"I know for a fact that he likes, music, video games, baseball bats, and pretty little things with sharp tongues. I just need to find a way to incorporate all that into some kind of party to get him to like me." Elena says with a thoughtful expression.

"He's gonna like you." Klaus says with an eye roll.

"Once he sees past your face that is." He adds as she pouts.

"Why would being a doppelgänger matter?" Stefan asks.

"He wasn't very fond of Tatia. Though that could be because she drew the attention away from him for a single moment." Klaus says with irritation lacing his tone.

“It’s true. I adore Kol, but he’s a classic middle child.” Elena tells the brothers.

“Were we friends with him?” Stefan asks, making her shake her head.

“No. None of us were on very good terms with his family.” She says pointing to Klaus.

“But, he really disliked Damon.” She says with a laugh as Damon scoffs, offended.

“Not possible. Everyone likes me.” He says as the other three in the car look to him with pity and disbelief, causing him to huff and narrow his eyes.

Klaus's phone rings, he pulls it out of his pocket and greets the person on the other line.

"Brother, I trust you have good news." He says.

"Excellent. Meet you there." He hangs up and looks over to Elena.

"Elijah found Mikael." He says simply, making her nod.

"Awesome. We need to make a pit stop first." 

* * *

“Hey, ‘lijah. How are you?” Elena asks as soon as she and the hybrid exit the car, meeting Elijah in the cemetery.

“Good. And you, Ms. Gilbert?” He asks and she furrows her brows.

“I’m not really sure what the mood is here. I’m mean don’t get me wrong, Mikael seriously sucks and not in the fun way, but he’s your father. I’m not really sure how to act.” She admits, slightly panicked as the original vampire smiles down at her softly.

“He stopped being my father a very long time ago, Elena. But thank you for your compassion.” He tells her honestly, making her frown.

“I’m not compassionate. I’m a cold hearted bitch, like Kat.” She says with a definitive nod, walking in the direction of a mausoleum.

“It’s this way, Ms. Gilbert.” He says with a trace of amusement as she huffs and turns around.

“I knew that. Got the stake?” She asks, turning to Klaus who is staring into space with a blank expression.

“Yo, ready to kill your dad?” She asks, tapping his arm, making him stand up straight with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“For a thousand years.” He says turning around and opening the truck of his car, taking out a stake.

“Where did you find white oak?” Elijah asks, staring at the stake in a fascination and fear as Elena coughs and points to herself.

“The bridge my parents were supposed to die on was made from a white oak tree a really long time ago. We burned it to the ground and saved the sign to make that.” She informs, pointing to the stake.

“And don’t worry, he burned the rest, while I watched.” She tells him as Klaus rolls his eyes and Elijah sends her an amused smile.

“He’s in this one.” Elijah says while walking towards a different mausoleum as Klaus follows.

“Okay. How do you want to do this?” Elena asks as they enter the small space.

“What do you mean?” He asks with confusion as he watches Elijah remove the top of Mikael’s coffin.

“I mean, do you want to just stake him, and be done with it? Or do you want to wake him up, you know, a little psychological torture before we send if off to whatever the Viking version of hell is.” Elena says as Klaus’s eyes snap to her.

“What? Was me breaking that vamp dude’s face with my boot not clear enough? Some people deserve to suffer.” She shrugs as he looks at Mikael.

“Wake him.” He says making Elijah raise a brow.

“I want him to know it’s me that’s killing him. I want him to spend his very last moments knowing his bastard son beat him.” Klaus says as angrily, Elena makes a sad face and pats him on the arm as she makes her way over to a desiccated Mikael.

She reaches in her boot and pulls out a pocket knife, after cutting her arm, she places it above Mikael's mouth, letting her blood drip into his mouth.

As color returns to Mikael's face, Klaus walks closer to Elena and bites into his wrist, offering it to her.

"Thanks." She says and holds up her arm up, watching as the cut heals.

"Would it be weird if I offered to let you lick my arm?" She whispers as he stares blankly at her and Elijah sighs.

"Weird, right? Okay, later." She nods and turns back to Mikael as he starts to open his eyes.

"I think he sees us." Elena whispers as Mikael glares at the trio.

"Hello, Mikael." Klaus says with crazy eyes and an incredibly evil smirk.

"Been a while. How are you?" Klaus asks with fake sincerity.

"You've really woken me. How long do you believe these chains will hold me? Impatient as always, Niklaus." Mikael sneers as Klaus's smirk widens.

"They only need to hold you until you finish burning." He says with a shrug, holding up the stake, making Mikael's eyes widen.

"I suppose you're just going to stand there." Mikael says to a blank faced Elijah. 

"I told you once, Mikael. I will always stand with him." Elijah says emotionlessly.

"And, you. I'm assuming you know what's to come. They're ruining your life, like your ancestors before you. You should have killed yourself the moment you learned of his existence." Mikael spits as Elena raises a brow.

"Oh, are you talking about the sacrifice?" Elena plays dumb.

"Hate to break it to you, buut…" Elena trails off, sending a look to Klaus who grins before transforming his face, revealing his now golden eyes.

"Surprise." Elena says cheerfully as Mikael glares with a hint of confusion.

When it's obvious no one is going to explain things to him, Mikael eyes narrow slightly in realization, finally understanding this is where he dies.

"Well, get on with it, boy." He hisses.

"With pleasure." Klaus replies, holding the stake above Mikael's heart.

"Just know, even in death, I will haunt you. You think this is the end? You're an abomination!" He says as Klaus pulls back with furrowed brows.

"Those are your last words?" Klaus asks with disbelief in a quiet tone, before glaring.

"A thousand years. Everything you've done. And that's what you chose?"

"Did you want me to apologize? Forgive you for killing my wife? Tell you I love you?" Mikael mocks with a laugh as tears burn Klaus's eyes.

"You are not my son. You never were. You're nothing but a bas-" Elena cuts him off angrily.

"Hey! Go fuck yourself, Mikael! God, you are such a prick!" She yells surprising the vampires.

"Guys, I need to talk to him for a minute. Can you?" She gestures to the exit before turning back to Mikael.

"You're pathetic." Elena says softly before taking a deep breath and smiling.

"You know, seeing you like this, you don't seem so scary." She says as she touches his chains.

"But we both know that's not true. We know that you’re the worst kind of monster." His eyes follow her with question.

"Not the kind that they make teen fantasy shows about, but the kind that make women and children quake in fear. The kind that disgusts real men." She says with venom as Mikael glares.

"But I'm not here to discuss your sins, I was hoping to tell you a story." Elena tells him as his eyes narrow.

"I know what you're thinking, but I promise, it's interesting. It's about the first of one woman's many betrayals. It began about a thousand or so, years ago. It's about a barren witch. You see, this witch was so desperate to have children, she made a deal with her sister. Some would say selling your firstborn child is a bit heartless, but she figured she'd have many kids, what's one in the grand scheme of things?" Elena asks mockingly as Mikael's eyes widen slightly.

"Oh, damn. You heard this before? Well, just to recap, your wife sold your precious little Freya to her sister. And Dahlia, being the power hungry bitch she is, used your daughter as a magical battery for years. Wait, did I say used? I meant, using. Present tense. You may be asking yourself, how is that possible? Well, Dahlia put herself and Freya into this weird sleep thing where they only wake once every 100 years for a single year at a time. Yep, that's right. Freya lives." Elena whispers with a mocking edge as he stares at her in shock.

"And, want to know something funny? She's set to wake in a few years. But, I'm sure we can find a way to wake her sooner." Elena tells him with a smile.

"It's too bad you'll be long dead. I really wanted her to see first hand what a monster you became. Can you imagine her face as I tell her about all the horrible things you've done to the family, that even though she's never met, loves with all her being? Can you imagine how she'll feel when she learns that the man she loved and idolized for a thousand years, became a cruel and sadistic beast? Cause, I can." Elena tells him as a tear slides out of his cold eye.

"Do you think she'll cry as you do?" Elena asks as she forcefully wipes away the tear with her thumb, before sending him a lazy smile.

"Words cannot express what a pleasure it is that I will never truly know you. See you in hell, Mikey." She winks before turning around and exiting the mausoleum, coming face to face with two thoroughly confused originals.

"I'll explain later. Can you give us a minute?" She asks Elijah before her eyes follow his body as he walks away with a nod.

"Sister?" He asks as she shrugs.

"Sister." She nods.

"What is it you wanted to speak to me about?" He asks as he grips the stake in his hand.

"Okay, fair warning, I'm about to get pretty emotional. You good with that?" She asks as he nods with a puzzled expression.

"Nik, you owe Mikael nothing. I'm sorry he made you feel like you needed to prove yourself to him, but you didn't then and you don't now. It was never on you to prove that you were worthy of his love, because he was never worthy of yours. It was his job to love you, and he failed. Not you. So when you go in there, don't see this as killing your father or even the man who hunted you for a thousand years. See it as ending a vile man, who couldn't even love his own child." She finishes softly as he stares at her in bewilderment while tears stream down his face.

"Sorry I called you Nik. It felt right in the moment." She whispers as she wipes a tear from his cheek, far more gently than she did to Mikael.

"Do what you gotta do, I'll be there in a second." She tells him encouragingly before making her way back to the car.

After a few minutes of standing outside the mausoleum, Elijah and Klaus exit silently.

"I know you guys are in a weird mood, and this is probably gonna make it worse, so just please know, I'm very sorry." She says before entering the space leaving the brothers behind.

A moment of silence goes by, before they hear the unmistakable sound of a vacuum cleaner sounding loudly through the cemetery.

"I'm sorry." She says as she stands in front of them with a dust vac and a Mason jar filled with their father's ashes.

* * *

“This is the first time I’ve ever said this, but I think I’m tapping out.” Elena says Klaus places another shot in front of her.

“I never thought I’d see the day.” Damon says teasingly, taking her shot.

“I’m only but a human, Ocean Eyes.” She says with an accent as she makes eye contact with the bartender for the fourth time that night.

“You gonna ditch us?” Stefan asks nodding towards the bar, Elena shakes her head then smirks.

“And leave you all without my company?” She asks as she watches Klaus silently pour himself another drink.

“How you doing?” She asks him, grimacing at the false nonchalance in her tone.

“I eliminated my greatest enemy. I’m fantastic.” He punctuates by throwing back another shot.

“As much as I’d like to believe you, the way you’re drinking isn’t exactly celebratory.” Elena says, subtly pulling the bottle away from him.

“What makes you say that?” He asks without interest as he pulls the bottle back.

“Just a hunch." She says before standing and holding out her hands to the vampires.

"Come on. I don't know how else to cheer you up. Something tells me a trip to New York won't work for you." She mutters as the Salvatores stand.

"What's the harm?" He asks rhetorically, taking another shot and grabbing her hand.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asks as they sway to the music.

"The things you said. Did you mean it?" He asks looking over her shoulder as she smiles.

"You're gonna be a little more specific, I say lots of things all the time. I literally never stop talking." She rambles teasingly as he rolls his eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, do you mean when I said you're one of the favorite people on this planet and that you deserved so much better than the shit he put you through?" She asks as he pulls back looking down at her with a small grin.

"You didn't say that."

"I didn't?" She questions with a matching grin.

"I think you need a friend tonight. And sadly, I'm not as qualified as I'd like to be. But there is someone here who is." Elena trails off nodding her head towards Stefan.

"You should give him his memories. You need a brother right now." She tells him as he stares as Stefan with furrowed brows before nodding and pulling her with him to Stefan.

"Heads up." Elena says as they reach the brothers causing Stefan to look up.

"Remember." Klaus compels as Stefan pupils dilate then close. Stefan opens them again with a gasp.

"Nik." He says with a smile before frowning 

"Why did you dagger Rebekah?" He scolds with disapproval making Elena giggle as Klaus blinks in surprise.

"Welcome back, old friend." Klaus says with a smirk.

"Rebekah, the sister you banged?" Damon asks Stefan, causing Klaus to glare at him.

"I mean dated." He corrects while holding his hands up.

"Rebekah is so amazing!" Elena exclaims with a smile.

"But tonight is not about your siblings, you two need to catch. Me and Dames will be at the bar." Elena says, pulling Damon away.

"What would you like?" The bartender flirts with Elena as they take a seat at the bar.

“Just some ice and to introduce myself, I’m El.” Elena says holding her hand out to the bartender.

“It’s nice to meet you, El. I’m Angie” the bartender says pointing to her name tag as Elena squints.

“Really? You don’t look like an Angie.” Elena says as she leans forward slightly.

“It’s, uh, short for Angela.” The girl says as Elena grins.

“Angela. Now that I can see. It’s lovely to meet you, Angela.” Elena says with a nod as the bartender blushes lightly.

“Um, I’m gonna get your ice.” She says before turning around as Elena watches her walk away.

“I’m not invisible, right? I was sitting here the whole time.” Damon says snapping Elena out her less than polite thoughts.

“What?” She asks.

“She didn’t even look at me. I am sitting right next to you.” He complains as he throws his hands up in frustration.

“Sorry, handsome.” Elena apologizes before the bartender returns with her ice.

“Anything else?” She asks with a flirty tone.

“Yeah, what do you want, Day?” Elena asks, turning to him as the bartender looks to him in surprise.

“Oh, I’m sorry. What can I get you?” She asks with pink cheeks.

“Just a bourbon.” He says, making her nod and turn around.

“Do you think a threesome would cheer Klaus up?” Elena asks, making Damon’s jaw drop.

“He just looks so sad. Mikael was such a prick to him.” Elena says with a sigh as the bartender sets Damon’s drink down.

“How was talking to the Destroyer?” Damon asks in a weird voice making her smile.

“He told me I should have killed myself, so not the worst.”

“What did you say to him?” Damon asks as she raises a brow.

“Come on, I know you. He hit his kid. No way you didn’t torture him a little.” Damon says, making her smile in amusement.

“Just some stuff about his long lost daughter. I kinda wish we kept him alive a little longer, I had some great burns planned.” Elena whines as Damon looks to her with a smirk and gestures for her to continue.

“Okay, I was gonna tell him that it was no surprise his wife cheated on him, and I had one about how Klaus’s real dad kept it tight.” She says making him snort.

“I wanted to call him a cuck, but Elijah was there, and that dude already has such a low opinion of me.” Elena admits making Damon choke on his drink.

“Did you just call my father a cuck?” Klaus asks from behind her with amusement and disbelief.

“Yep. I really wish I could say it to his face.” Elena says as Klaus takes a set next to her.

“Well, I for one, am glad he's too dead to hear it." He says as he waves the bartender over, but Elena's too distracted by a shadow in the corner of her eye to hear him.

"Hey. I'm off in 5. Wanna get out of here?" The bartender asks hopefully as Elena looks to the vampires. When they smile or shrug, Elena turns back to the girl.

"I'd love to." She replies with a smile as the girl nods and turns around.

"You sure? I can stay. We can spend the rest of the night talking about shitting dads." Elena offers as Klaus shakes his head.

"That's okay. And you had a shitty dad?" He asks as she nods.

"Two of them actually. Adopted remember." She says holding up two fingers.

"Hey, while we're on the subject of dads. I forgot to tell you, but since breaking your curse and unlocking your wolf side, courtesy of moi, you can have kids again." Elena says, leaving him speechless. 

"You good?" She asks, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Are you joking?" He asks with disbelief.

"Nope. I'd start using protection if I were you." She pats his back before standing up.

"Try not to dwell on it." She says before kissing the brothers's cheeks and turning back to Klaus.

"For what it's worth, you'd make a fantastic father." She tells him honestly before joining the bartender.

On her way out of the bar with her arm around the bartender, Elena swears she saw someone resembling Mikael watch her walk away.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	38. Mikey

“You can’t just use your hybrids as slaves, Klaus.” Elena says as she sits atop an examination table, swinging her legs back and forth.

“Of course I can, love. Did you grow a conscience overnight?” He asks with amusement.

“Obviously not, gross. But these people aren’t just humans for you to use. They’re gonna be your pack. You’re a natural born alpha, it’s your birthright. It was taken from you a thousand years ago, but you have a chance now, to lead like you were meant to.” She tells him passionately as he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms with a thoughtful expression, “And the alpha protects the pack. But you have to understand that you can’t force loyalty, Klaus.” She says as he raises a brow.

“What would you suggest then?” He asks, leaning forward as she smiles proudly.

“I thought you’d never ask. When we find the pack, offer them a way to control the shift. Appear sympathetic, but don’t try to hide that you’re building an army. When the alpha says no, which they will, challenge them. They still live by the code. If you best them in a fight, they’ll have no choice but to submit, causing the pack to follow.” She instructs as he sends her a proud and impressed grin.

“Do you know what a sire bond is, Klaus?” She asked rhetorically with a smirk as he sends her a look.

“I’m a thousand years old, Love. What do you think?” He asks with an eye roll.

“Right. Then you know what it means when I say, the hybrids will all be sired to you.” She says, making him chuckle.

“So when you said I can’t force loyalty-” She interrupts.

“Yeah, I was speaking more ethically. But you really shouldn’t use it. At least not yet. If you become the alpha, offer to turn those who agree, let some of them live to carry on the bloodlines, they may resent you, but they’ll also respect you. And if the time comes when you need their absolute loyalty, invoke the bond without their knowledge. This way, they won’t feel the need to break the bond and run from you.” She tells him.

“Is that what happened last time?” He asks, making her nod, “But that doesn’t matter, it’s not gonna happen this time. In the meantime, you should try to find lone wolves. I have a guy, he can get the word out and you should compel some vampires to do the same.” she says before the doctor enters the room with a knock.

“Hello Elena, it’s time to prep for the operation. I’m sorry, but your husband needs to wait in the waiting room, we’ll call him when you’re done.” She says looking to Klaus as Elena smirks widely and takes Klaus’s hand.

“That’s fine, Doctor. My  _ husband _ and I _ ,  _ just can’t thank you enough for squeezing us in on such short notice.” She says in a fake emotional tone as Klaus barely keeps himself from rolling his eyes.

“Of course.” The Doctor says with a smile as Klaus stands.

“I’ll be here when you wake up.” He says to Elena before turning to the doctor.

“Remember what I told you?” He asks as the doctor’s pupils dilate.

“She’s to receive the very best care possible and if anyone harms her, you’ll kill everyone here.” The Doctor says with fear lacing her tone before blinking rapidly, then smiling with slight confusion.

“A nurse will show you to the waiting room.” The Doctor tells Klaus as Elena brings a hand to her heart.

“I shall see you soon, my love.” She calls out to him dramatically, this time he doesn’t suppress the eye roll.

"So sweet. How long have you been together?" The doctor asks.

"Thirty years.” Elena says with a wistful smile, “How long am I gonna be out for?" Elena asks as the doctor looks to her confused before shaking her head and answering.

"Not long. You will most likely feel very tired, we recommend bed rest for the rest of the day." 

"Cool. Well, let’s suck these eggs out of me." Elena says, leaning back with her hands behind her head.

* * *

_ "This again?" Elena groans as she wakes up on the same road from her previous dream. _

_ Walking down the road, in search of the warehouse, Elena feels eyes on her and quickly spins around, coming face to face with nothing. _

_ She shrugs and continues forward. _

_ Coming across the same warehouse. Elena skips happily up to the veil before walking through. _

_ "Amara! Come out, come out, wherever you are." Elena yells as she walks through the building. _

_ On her way to the back of the warehouse, hoping to find the storage room she found the immortal in last time, Elena is thrown to the ground with a hand around her throat. _

_ “Shiiiit.” Elena whines catching sight of her attacker. _

_ “Doppelgänger.” Mikael growls loudly, making her flinch slightly. _

_ “Can’t we talk this out?” She asks as he chuckles darkly, “I’m gonna take that as a no.” She mutters, trying to force herself to relax. _

_ “What have you done to me?” He asks threateningly as she stares blankly. _

_ “What? Me? Nothing.” Elena says as his hand tightens. _

_ “Lies!” He yells, “three times I’ve been transported from my afterlife, each time I find myself next to you. And that mutt you call a friend.” He adds with disgust. _

_ “I knew I saw you” Elena whispers with realization. _

_ “What have you done? Where are we?” He asks as she sends him a confused look. _

_ “This isn’t the otherside?” She questions, taking his silence as an answer, “Can you move now? You obviously can’t kill me seeing as this is my dream.” Elena says pushing him away from her and stands, pacing with furrowed brows. _

_ “If you don't return me to this 'otherside' I will find a way to make every moment of your existence a living hell, I will-" Elena interrupts with an annoyed groan.  _

_ "Oh, my god. I get it. You're big and scary. Who cares? Shut the hell up, I'm trying to work something out." She snaps as he glares with hatred and steps forward, threateningly. _

_ "Alright, when I died, the entity told me I would be haunted by the otherside, driving me insane, but then they said they had a solution. A few nights later, I had a dream of this place where I saw crazy pants. Cut to the cemetery, Klaus ends your pathetic excuse of a life and a few hours later I see you hanging around." Elena lists out as Mikael's glare intensifies. _

_ 'Rem season three?' Elena thinks to herself. _

_ "You will show some respect." He demands with eye contact as she leans forward. _

_ "Get fucked." She says before he slams her hard against a wall. _

_ "I can see why you care for that bastard." He says as she glares, before a smug grin spreads across her lips. _

_ "If this place isn't the otherside and is really just a part of my subconscious, that means this is basically a lucid dream." She says, placing her hands around his wrists, "Which means, we're not playing by Krueger rules. I'm in control here." Elena says as he pulls his hands away with a groan of pain. _

_ "Hurts doesn’t it?" She asks with a smile as she observes the burn marks on his arms. _

_ "You think you can beat me?" He asks with a chuckle as she sends him a fake smile. _

_ He charges, making Elena curl into herself with a yelp as she throws her hand out. _

_ Elena peaks at him through her hand before giggling wildly as she sees his feet stuck in what looks to be a concrete box made of the same material as the warehouse's ground. _

_ He bends down, punching the concrete around his feet, breaking it apart, making her panic and look around frantically. _

_ Noticing metal pipes running along the wall, Elena envisions them bending and moving towards Mikael, curling around his arms and pulling him away. _

_ As he stalks forward, Elena tries to will the idea into reality, just as he's about to grab her, his wrists are caught by the metal as he's dragged away. _

_ "Holy shit." She mutters with fascination, "I can't believe that worked. Fuck! Why couldn't I have been a witch?" She says glaring up at the ceiling as Mikael pulls on the pipes, unable to move them. _

_ "You said three times. When exactly were you taken from the otherside?" Elena questions as he only glares, causing her to roll her eyes with a groan. _

_ "Dude. Seriously? We don't have a lot of time. Chop chop." She says with a snap. _

_ "First after I died, you were gathering my ashes in a jar." He answers with annoyance as she smiles innocently, "Then while you were drinking at a bar with the beast." She rolls her eyes, "And lastly, I was transported here."  _

_ "At the cemetery, I wished for a moment that you weren’t dead, because vacuuming your ashes felt too much like cleaning." Elena says more to herself with a thoughtful expression, "And at the bar, I was telling Damon that I wished you were still alive so I could insult you some more. That reminds me, uh, you're a cuckold." She insults weakly as he blinks in surprise, before clenching his jaw, "Damn. Not as good without Elijah's judgmental sigh." She says sadly before shaking her head, "What if I willed it?" Elena asks herself out loud. _

_ "It’s your choice to see me?" Mikael asks incredulously as a sinister smirk spreads across her face. _

_ "I just realized something, you're not haunting me, Mikey. I'm haunting you." _

* * *

Elena wakes slowing, flinching as the bright lights shine in her eyes. She blinks away the drowsiness with a yawn as someone clears their throat, causing her to look up with tired eyes.

"Ms. Gilbert." Elijah greets with a smile and a nod as he places a vase of her flowers down on the side table.

"You got me flowers?" She asks through a scratchy voice, "God, that's classy." She comments with head shake as he sends her an amused look.

"How do you feel?" He asks as he takes a seat next to her bed.

"Like I'm about to become the bio mom to a bunch of fetuses." She answers, taking the cup of water he hands her.

"Is this what you want, Elena? If Niklaus is forc-" She cuts him off with a grateful smile.

"This was my idea, 'lijah. Believe it or not, Klaus really isn't the villain of this story." She mock whispers the last part as he sends her a skeptical look, "Honest. He's my friend." She tells him matter of factly, before looking around, "Where is he? He said he would be here when I woke up." She says with pout.

"You're aunt Jenna called. She wished to give him specific instructions on how to care for you." He answers with a smile at her laugh.

"That's hilarious." She says with a tired smile as she closes her eyes and leans back into her pillow. 

"If you don't want to give the eggs away, I'm sure I could find something to offer Klaus in exchange for waiting until you're older." He proposes with concern making her smile sadly at him.

"You're a good guy, Eli." She says, before sighing, "You don't deserve this." She says with slight anger as he raises a brow.

"Deserve what?"

"This. All this shit. And all the pain that comes with being the noble original." She says with distress, "You don't deserve any of it. Not after everything you've done to protect them." She says sadly, as he sends her a tight smile.

"My family?" He questions, she nods, "My family lay in boxes, Elena." He says with regret lacing his tone, "Some put there by my own hand, and others by my cowardice. I believe it's suffice to say, I failed." He explains with guilt." Failed to protect them. Failed to restore my brother's humanity. I broke my vow." He admits.

"Always and forever?" She asks as he nods and leans back, "Doesn't they name kinda suggest, that there's no way to break it? It lasts forever, right? So you have forever to make it up to them." She says with a bright smile.

"I suppose." He says with a small grin.

"And as for Klaus's humanity, you're kinda setting yourself up for failure." He raises a brow, "I feel like you keep comparing him to the brother you grew up with, rather than the man he's been for the last thousand years." She says with a shrug.

"He was good, Elena." Elijah tells her with a sad gleam in his eye, "An artist's soul. He was sweet, gentle, loving… good." 

"I know. I saw it. But, people change, 'lijah. And if you keep holding on the image of the younger brother who painted with berries and couldn't stand up to his father, the one whose only heartbreak was from a woman who loved his brother, and not his own mother's betrayal, he'll never live up to your exceptions." Elena tells him softly as a thoughtful look crosses his features, "You gotta accept him for who he is now. The man that centuries of paranoia and running from your father turned him into. The Great Evil." Elena finishes teasingly as he cracks a smile.

"I prefer vampire boogeyman." Elijah says, making her giggle and nod.

"Me too." She agrees, "You wouldn't be betraying the man he used to be. You'd just be learning to love the one he is now." She says with shrugs as he furrows his brows.

"Shockingly poetic for someone who often says the most inappropriate things I've ever heard a woman say." Elijah remarks, making her smile teasingly.

"I've got layers." He smiles at her softly as Klaus walks into the room with a knowing expression.

"How are you feeling?" He asks as she gives him a thumbs up.

"Fine. Tired. What'd Jen say?" Elena asks with amusement as he breathes out a deep breath.

"She demanded I feed you fries and milkshakes while you recover. She always said that if you don't call her within the next 24 hours, she will rain psychological hell down upon me." He quotes, making her snicker.

"Sounds like her." Elena comments with a yawn. "Hey, have you thought about what I told you the other night?" She asks, referring to his new found ability to procreate as he takes a seat next to her bed.

"I have." He answers vaguely.

"And? Are you planning to have any puppies?" She asked as she sinks into her pillow.

"You should go to sleep." He says, avoiding the question as her eyes flutter shut.

"You'd be a great dad." She says as Elijah smiles at Klaus's soft expression. "I wish you were my dad." She mumbles as Klaus raises a brow in confusion and amusement. "-dy." She adds with a giggle as Elijah sighs. "Get it?" She asks before falling asleep.

"Yes." Klaus says as he smiles at her sleeping face.

  
  
  



	39. Alpha

“Jello.” Elena says as she answers her phone.

“Ellie.” Katherine greets with a strangely pleasant tone, surprising all four men in the vehicle.

“What it do, Kitty Kat?” Elena asks cheerfully, bouncing in her seat slightly as Katherine laughs softly.

“I’m fine. I’m just calling to let you know about Mason’s pack.” Katherine says as Klaus raises a brow from the driver’s seat.

“You’re still hanging out with Mason?” Elena asks with curiosity as Katherine sighs.

“He is very pretty.” She says, emphasizing the very, making Elena laugh with a nod. “And I kinda like being ‘Kathy’. At least until I find N-“ Elena interrupts loudly.

“Blah blah blah. My god Kat, do you ever stop talking? I mean, am I right original brothers, Klaus and Elijah?” Elena asks pointedly as Katherine breaths in deeply.

"Where are you, Ellie?" Katherine asks cautiously.

"In a car with three of your former lovers and the guy who's been hunting you for 500 years." Ellie answers before correcting herself, "My bad, was hunting you."

"Salvatores. Mikaelsons. Long time no see." Katherine greets nonchalantly, making Elena throw her head back with a laugh.

"God, I miss you, Kat! It's just been me and all these guys for the last few months." Elena says with a pout before turning to Damon. "Ooh, gang bang." She says, making him open a notebook.

"Nice." He says, writing it down as Klaus looks at them in the rearview mirror.

"What is that?" He asks with slight amusement as he turns to look at the notebook in Damon's lap.

"Ellie's to do list." He answers as Elijah sighs and looks out the window, causing Elena and the Salvatore's eyes to snap towards him.

"Jar." They shout in sync as they point to a cup sitting in the cup holder, causing Elijah to reach into his pocket.

"What the hell is happening?" Katherine asks as Elena jumps slightly, forgetting she was on the phone.

"Eli's judgement jar." Elena answers. "We thought it would teach him to stop being so judgemental. Everytime he judges someone, he has to put money in the cup."

"If it's a cup, why do you shout Jar?" Katherine asks.

"I stole the idea from someone who used a jar. Plus, I love alliteration. But, since Elijah's wealth is endless, it's not really a deterrent. So we’re just kinda… shaming him." Elena supplies as Katherine sighs.

"I think that's enough Ellie for today." She says as everyone in the car shrugs with a ‘fair enough’ expression. "As always, it was… weird talking to you, Ellie." Katherine hangs up after telling Elena about the pack.

"She's amazing." Elena says with a smile. "You know, I always kinda thought I would want to bone her, but I just get familial vibes." She narrows her eyes as Elijah goes completely still. "Jar." She says, making him turn to her.

"I didn't do anything." He defends.

"Yeah, but it was in your eyes." He rolls his eyes, reaching into his breast pocket.

* * *

"Christ! I'm freezing my balls off out here!" Elena exclaims through chattering teeth as she clings to Klaus's back.

"I told you could stay at the hotel." Klaus reminds with an eye roll as he adjusts her higher on his back.

"And miss you being all 'I am the alpha'? No, thank you. That's shit's hot as hell." She tells him as they trek farther up the mountain.

"Then stop complaining, Love. There is only so much I can take before I take you back to the car and leave you there." He snaps with irritation, making her bite his shoulder in retaliation.

"Is someone nervous?" She asks teasingly as he pretends to drop her, making her shriek and hold on to him tighter. "It's okay to be a little anxious, buddy. You've been waiting for this day for a thousand years." She tells him patting his head like a child as he huffs annoyed.

Elijah clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the banter. "I hear them." He says gesturing to the campsite in the distance.

"Showtime." Elena whispers as he sets her on her feet.

Klaus, Elijah, and Elena make their way up the trail, revealing themselves to the pack of wolves.

"Can we help you?" A man asks suspiciously as he sets down a bag and walks towards them.

"No, but can I help you." Klaus replies with a grin as Elena rolls her eyes and drops the backpack holding her blood bags.

"What-" Klaus interrupts.

"You see, my friend Ellie here," Elena waves with a large smile, "tells me I have a habit of being rather dramatic, so let's skip to the important part, shall we? My name is Klaus." He tells them as another man steps forward.

"You're the guy who put out a message to packless wolves." He says.

"Indeed." Klaus confirms walking farther into the campsite, effortlessly commanding the attention of everyone around him. "And I'm here to offer each of you a… gift of sorts." Klaus says thoughtfully as the wolves look to each other in confusion. "But first, I should probably share some things about myself." Klaus reveals his hybrid face and fangs making them all step back in fear.

"What the hell are you?" The first man asks with fear lacing his tone and wide eyes.

"A hybrid. The hybrid, actually. An original vampire born with the curse of a werewolf." He tells them as he looks around, gauging their reactions, they weren't great.

"That- that's impossible." He shakes his head in denial.

"And yet, here I stand, a vampire who can walk in the sun and a wolf who can change at will." Klaus tells them with his arms out.

"What do you want with us?" The man asks bravely, trying to cover his fear.

"Excellent question, mate. I want to help you." Klaus lays it on a little too thick causing Elena to grimace and subtly send him a 'cut it out' motion with her hand, he nods and continues,"And build myself an army in the process." He admits as the wolves protest and look to the alpha.

"No, we don't want anything to do with you. Leave." The alpha demands as Klaus smirks with amusement and looks to the other wolves.

"Is this how you all feel? Not one of you wishes to be released from the excruciating clutches of the moon?" He asks as they all nod, albeit hesitantly. 

"We don't want to turn every month," The man admits before Elena interrupts.

"Yeah, that's gotta be  _ ruff."  _ She says sympathetically with a barely contained smirk as everyone ignores her.

"But we don't want to become vampires." He spits the last word with disgust as Klaus growls lowly.

"That's really too bad, because I always get what I want." He says threateningly as he steps closer to the alpha.

"Uh huh. He's like a dog with a bone." Elena adds earning an eye roll from everyone in the vicinity.

"You see, on any other occasion I'd leave being honorable to my brother here," He gestures to Elijah, who seems completely over his brother's theatrics, "but I'm willing to channel my inner Elijah and offer you a deal." Elena snorts and covers her mouth as Klaus's lip twitches. "Some of you agree to become one the strongest creatures on the planet and join me as I build my army or I challenge your alpha here and turn all of you willingly or not." He shrugs as the pack stiffens in fear. "What’ll it be?" He asks the alpha with an intense look in his eye, making the man swallow.

"You'll have to kill me to get to my pack." He states bravely as Klaus looks to him with a slight gleam of respect.

"You'll make an excellent second in command." He says before throwing the first punch, dropping the man to the ground as the pack immediately crowds them.

"No, stop." The man holds out hands, "You're not allowed to interfere." He tells his pack who slowly back away as he stands.

The man rushes Klaus, making the hybrid duck and flip him over his shoulder. The man lands in the dirt with a groan, before standing back up.

"You don't actually think you can beat me?" Klaus asks with slight pity as the man shrugs.

"No, but what kind of leader would I be if I didn't fight for them?" The man responds, throwing a punch that Klaus catches. 

"Admirable." He comments, dropping the alphas hand and stepping forward, biting his wrist, shoving it into the man’s mouth and snapping his neck as the pack gasps in shock.

"I'd consider that a win." Klaus grins at Elena who gives him a thumbs up. 

"He's your alpha now." Elena says to the pack while pointing to Klaus. "So this a safe place, free of judgement."

"Which of you would like to become the strongest apex predator to walk the earth? After me, of course." Klaus adds smugly as the pack looks to each other in worry.

"You said you'd turn us all. Why are you asking?" A woman asks, stepping forward with glare.

"Vampirism is not for the weak, sweetheart. If you can't handle it, that reflects badly on my ability to command." He tells her. "As a sign of goodwill, I'm willing to leave some of you mortal." 

"Do any of you have kids?" Elena asks, causing three out the pack of fifteen to hesitantly raise their hands. "Any of you have any hard plans to procreate?" Four more raise their hands as Elena looks to Klaus. "Do your thing." She tells him with a grin he returns before turning to the soon to be hybrids.

While Klaus snaps the necks of his new pack, a woman walks into the campsite with shock written across her stunning face.

"Who the hell are you?" The woman asks the three as Elena’s jaw drops and her brain short circuits.

"Holy shit." Elena mutters in awe as the original brothers look to the woman.

"Bit late to the party, love." Klaus says stepping forward as Elena puts her hand out shakes her head.

"Not her." She tells him before turning back to the woman while straightening her clothes and taking a deep breath.

"You're Hayley Marshall." Elena states as the woman raises a brow in question.

"How do you know that?" She asks defensively as a lazy grin overtakes Elena's face.

"You'd be amazed by the things I know." She flirts, surprising the wolf before shaking her head. "I know you're probably freaking out a little, sit with me." Elena says motioning to a log. "My name's Elena, but you can call me Ellie." She introduces herself with a hand shake.

"Hayley, but you knew that. Speaking of, how?" She demands, making Elena smile in admiration.

"Do you know what a doppelgänger is?" She asks as Hayley shakes her head no. "They're a magical occurrence, originating in Greece about 2000 years ago." She explains. "To make a long story short, I share this face with a lot of other women in my bloodline. That hunk of grade A man meat over there," Elena points to Klaus as Hayley looks to her amused, "is the original hybrid. He's turning the pack into vampires."

"I need to help them." Hayley says with conviction. "They're my pack." She adds with slightly less conviction.

"No they're not." Elena tells her, making Hayley's brows furrow. "You don't know why, but you've never felt connected to them in the way pack members are supposed to. Have you?" She asks, Hayley shakes her head slightly while looking down. 

Elena gets distracted by Klaus as he feeds the last two wolves his blood, his sleeve is rolled to his elbow as he makes the wolf bite into his arm, Elena bites her lip lightly as the muscles on his back contract while he snaps the wolf's neck.

"Damn." Elena breathes out.

"Yeah." Hayley whispers, causing Elena to smirk when she follows her eye line straight to Elijah leaning against a tree watching his brother blankly. 

"New Orleans." Elena says, making Hayley's gaze snap to her with question. "Crescent Wolf Pack. Around two decades ago a witch cursed the pack on the order of a vampire. The same year a baby girl was born to a royal werewolf bloodline, the Labonairs. The bloodline was wiped out when she was a baby, but the girl was given up for adoption. You know something weird, every member of the pack is born with this odd little birthmark." Elena's eyes trail Hayley's shoulder as she immediately moves her sweater out of the way revealing her birthmark.

"What are you saying?" Hayley asks hopefully as Elena smiles at her.

"I have been waiting to meet you for a very long time, Andrea Labonair." She says as Hayley mouths 'Andrea' to herself.

"Are you telling me the truth?" She asks, trying to rein in her excitement, Elena nods before Hayley brings her into a tight hug, repeatedly whispering her gratitude.

"Uh, beautiful, as much as I enjoy your body pressed up against me, it's a full moon and your strength is kinda at its peak." Elena struggles to say before Hayley releases her with a laugh.

"I'm sorry." She says with a smile as Elena nods, again uncomfortable with the look in the people she helps eyes.

"So, wanna be a hybrid?" Elena asks casually as Hayley sucks in a surprised breath.

"I-I don't know." Hayley says, making Elena shrug. "The curse on my pack, what is it?" Hayley changes the subject.

"Right. Fair warning, it's gonna piss you off." Elena says as Hayley nods, "the pack is stuck in wolf form until full moons, like tonight. They only get one night to walk on two legs." She tells her as Hayley crushes a piece of the log beneath them, with her hand.

"So I wouldn't be able to meet then?" Hayley asks sadly as Elena shakes her head.

"Not for a few years unless you can control the shift, by oh, I don't know, becoming a badass vampire/wolf hybrid." Elena says as Hayley raises a brow. "Or getting knocked up." She adds, making the wolf grimace.

"Ellie." Klaus calls out, making Elena stand and walk over to him. "They're waking up." He says looking over to Elijah, who grabs the backpack and opens it, taking out the blood bags, a cup, and a bag of medicine syringes.

"Where did you come up with this?" Klaus asks with amusement as Elena pours the blood into a cup.

"When Remy was little he refused to drink his medicine, I love the kid, but he was a real turd. We used to use the little syringes and shoot the medicine down his throat like-" 

"No." Elijah interrupts sternly as Elena smirks.

"Jar." She whispers as she uses the syringe to measure out her blood.

Elena walks back over to Hayley as she sits on the log deep in thought.

"What if I become a hybrid and the pack doesn't accept me?" Hayley wonders out loud as Elena sighs.

"Then you can join my pack." She tells her honestly.

"These guys never felt-" Elena shakes her head.

"Not these wolves. My friends. Most of them are currently in Virginia. If being a hybrid is what you want and your pack doesn't see how awesome you are, you're always welcome with me." She bumps Hayley's shoulder with her own as the wolf sends her a grateful smile.

"What happens in a few years?" Hayley asks with curiosity.

"I can get in contact with a witch, who can reverse the curse." She answers.

"I don't think I can wait a few years to meet them. I want to turn." Hayley says definitively as Elena nods.

* * *

"To Klaus!" Elena and The Salvatore brothers cheer as they clink their shot glasses together, making Klaus smile and raise his shot.

"So how does it feel becoming the alpha?" Elena asks as she sits across from him on their hotel room's couch.

"I was always the alpha, love." He replies, making her laugh and nod.

"Indian or Thai?" Damon asks, taking a seat next to her, handing her another shot.

"Indian." She replies, tossing it back.

"Too bad, I want Thai, rock, paper, scissors?" He asks as Stefan groans and drops into the chair next to Klaus.

"Okay. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" They say at the same time, both choosing paper.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Both rock.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Rock again.

"You two are very similar." Klaus comments with amusement, gesturing between them with his drink as Stefan rolls his eyes.

"You have no idea." Stefan mutters with annoyance.

"Yep. Two peas in a pod, I'm the stars to her moon, she's the Stefan to my Lexi." He declares, throwing an arm around shoulder as she nods.

"Indeed." She agrees. "We shall be cell mates in hell!" She says loudly before shouting at the same time as him.

"I call top bunk!" She gets the words out first causing him to throw his head back with a groan as she sticks her tongue out, mockingly and gloats.

"I cannot handle the two of you right now." Stefan says standing and grabbing another drink.

"Aww, Stef. Go get someone to eat, you're not you when you're hungry." She teases, making him roll his eyes again.

"I'll come with. Love you, Ellie." He kisses Elena's head before leaving the room with Stefan.

Elena and Klaus sit in comfortable silence, sipping their drinks for a few minutes before Elena clicks her tongue in boredom and looks to Klaus.

"Wanna have sex." She asks, he raises a brow in surprise before nodding.

"Sure." He answers, standing up.

"Really?" She asks hopefully, raising from the couch.

"Yeah." He nods walking towards her.

"Yeah? Right, cool. Okay." She rambles before he brings her into a feverish kiss, backing her up into the wall behind them.

Klaus kisses down her neck as her head falls back against the wall. "If you call me Tatia, I'll kick your ass." She mumbles breathlessly, causing him to halt his actions and look at her with bewilderment. "Shit." She breathes with groan before he starts laughing, making her join him and rest her head against his shoulder.

"You really are mad." He says through a disbelievingly laugh as she hides her face in his neck.

"Did I ruin this?" She asks, smiling when he shakes his head.

"No." He answers before pulling her head back lightly by her hair, claiming her lips.

"You sure?" He asks, pulling away to find her eyes.

"Nice. Verbal consent for the win. Yes, I'm sure. You?" She asks, moving her gaze between his eyes and lips.

"Yes." He answers with a lazy smile before kissing her again.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	40. Revelations

Elena wakes with a quiet groan and a yawn while she stretches her aching muscles. Looking down at her bare body with a raised brow, she notices a sleeping Klaus lying next to her and freezes.

Her eyes trail over his naked back, lifting the sheet covering him slightly, she fist pumps with a look of appreciation. 

Elena slowly gets out of bed, trying not to wake him, and looks around the room for her clothes. Once dressed, she tiptoes to the door, jumping slightly when she hears someone clear their throat.

"Sneaking out? I'm hurt." Klaus says in a husky tone as Elena turns around with a tight-lipped smile.

"Uh, yeah. Stefan and Damon should be back, so I wanted to check on them." Elena lies unconvincingly, causing Klaus to raise a brow.

"Is that so?" He asks with amusement as he sits up against the headboard.

"Fine. I didn't wanna make this awkward." She admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"And why would it be awkward?" He asks with a smug smile. "Is it because we slept together or because we cuddled after?" His smile faltering slightly when she doesn't seem the least bit embarrassed.

"Yeah, that was awesome." She says with a dazed smile. "But this is usually the part where people wanna talk about feelings and relationships, so I thought I'd bail to avoid that." She says, making him grin widely.

"So you thought I'd wake up and what? Declare my undying love for you?" He asks in an amused tone, making her laugh.

"Not those exact words." She grins teasingly.

"That's awfully conceited, love." He scolds as she sends him a smirk.

"You and I both know I have every reason to be." She wiggles her eyebrows as he makes an impressed face, recalling the events of last night.

"Fair enough. But I'm not one to get attached. No need to coddle my feelings, sweetheart." He says, making her smile.

"Really? So, we can keep going to pound town and doesn't have to mean anything?" She asks hopefully, making him laugh.

"Yes. We can keep 'going to pound town' as you so eloquently put it." He assures as she walks back to the bed.

"Like right now?" She whispers, he quickly pulls her into his lap as she places her arms around his neck.

"I don't know." He says with mock worry. "What if I fall in love with you?" He asks teasingly, kissing her hungrily.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." She replies, trying to catch her breath.

"Hey! Me and Stefan are both here, you sluts!" Damon yells, banging on their shared wall as Elena throws her head back, groaning in aggravation.

"Come on." She says standing from the bed. "Lets go get breakfast." She tells him, handing him his shirt.

Elena whistles and dances around the kitchen, getting food out of the fridge as the Salvatore brothers both watch her with matching awkward expressions.

"What?" She finally asks with a raised brow.

"Nothing." Stefan replies quickly.

"Okay. Let me make myself clear, I do what I want, when I want. And I'll be damned before I let a couple of Salva-whores tell me what I can and can't do with my own body. Got it?" She asks as the both nod frantically.

"Good." She smiles. "Now, which one of you is gonna make breakfast? I can't cook." She says, looking down at the food as Stefan stands with a smile.

Across the room, Elena's phone rings, making her run to it and smile seeing the caller ID.

"Bonjour." She answers cheerfully.

"Hello, gorgeous." Enzo greets. "I got you a surprise, go open your door." He says, making her run to the door, the brothers following.

"Surprise." He says hanging up the phone as she opens the door and squeals.

"Oh my god!" She exclaims, jumping into his open arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. "What are you doing here?" She asks excitedly, as he spins her with a laugh.

"Do I need a reason to come visit my beautiful savior?" He asks teasingly, carrying her into the room and setting her on the kitchen counter, while the brothers silently stand behind them.

"Of course not. I just can't believe you're here." She says hugging him again.

"What do we have here?" Klaus asks with confusion as he walks into the room.

"Klaus this is Enzo, remember that Augustine thing? And Enzo, this is Klaus the dude who sacrificed me." She introduces.

"Nice to meet you, mate." Klaus greets with a handshake as Enzo turns to Elena.

"You replaced me with another brit?" He asks with mock offense, making her laugh and nod.

"Yeah, sorry. But this one puts out." She jokes, making him snort with an eye roll.

Enzo turns to Damon with an unreadable expression as Damon holds his breath.

"You see, it's so tense because Damon left him to die." Elena whispers to Klaus. "And then, a few years later he killed the woman that Enzo loved. And when I say killed, I mean like really killed, like ripped that chick's head clean off." Elena continues whispering while the men all look to her.

"We all know what happened, Elena." Damon says through gritted teeth as Elena smiles in apology.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" Damon asks cautiously.

"I will forgive you. If you fight me." Enzo states with a nod as everyone else in the room looks to him with confusion and surprise.

"What?" Damon asks.

"Yes. I've decided that beating you in a physical altercation will be what I need to move on." Enzo confirms as Damon makes an offended face.

"Who says you'll win?" Damon whines as everyone in the room sends him a pitying look.

"Come on." Enzo says with a laugh.

"Yeah, ocean eyes. Be serious." Elena adds as she and Stefan look to each other with humor.

"You two are supposed to have my back. You're my brother and you're my Ellie!" He exclaims with disbelief.

"Sorry, brother. But, look at him. He's gonna kick your ass." Stefan says sympathetically as Damon huffs.

"So, you in?" Enzo asks impatiently.

"... Fine." Damon concedes.

"This feels kinda sexual." Elena comments. "Can I watch?" She asks, making the others look to her with varying degrees of judgment and disapproval.

"Don't look at me like that. You know who I am." She tells them, making them shrug. "So, you gonna fight now or can we eat breakfast first? I worked up quite the appetite." She winks at Klaus, who rolls his eyes.

"It's noon." Enzo tells her with furrowed brows.  
___

"Kill him!" Elena yells as Damon and Enzo fight and Stefan sends her a curious look.

"Who are you cheering for?" He asks as Enzo swings at Damon.

"No one in particular." She shrugs, Damon falls back, bringing a hand to his bleeding nose.

"What qualifies as a win here, Enzo?" Damon asks with a deep breath as Enzo kicks him to the ground again.

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe I'll just keep hitting you until I feel better." He punctuates with a punch to Damon's face.

"I'm sorry, Enzo." Damon yells as he stands. "Okay? I'm sorry. You were my best and only friend for years and I ruined it. I know, alright. There is nothing you could say to make me feel any more guilty." Damon admits as Enzo takes a step back.

"This isn’t making me feel better." Enzo complains to Elena, who shrugs.

"I don't know what to tell you, Zo. I've never had a 50 year vengeance. What do you want to do?" She asks, handing them each a towel.

"Drink." He states as Damon nods in agreement.

"Well we can't go to a bar, the both of you look like you just stepped out of a Saw movie." She says with a grimace. "Let's have a night in."  
___

"Never have I ever killed one of my parents." Elena smirks widely as Klaus and Stefan send her an unimpressed glare before taking a drink.

"Does Klaus have to drink twice?" Damon asks, making Elena laugh and nod.

"I think so." She answers, titling the hybrid's cup higher.

"Never have I ever slept with someone who killed me." Stefan smirks behind his cup as she rolls her eyes and drinks.

"Never have I ever left someone to die a fiery death as I ran away like a coward." Enzo sends a pointed look to Damon as Klaus breathes in deeply and takes a drink, making Elena bite her lip and stand.

"Hey, so you know how I know the future?" Elena asks casually as they all nod with confusion. "Right. And you know how I don't tell people the future because of the potential negative ramifications?" She continues nervously. "Well, that's not the only reason why. I do it to protect you guys." She admits while wringing her hands. "But, keeping it to myself feels like lying. So here goes, Marcel is alive." She says as Klaus’s eyes widen.

"What?" He asks with shock.

"Yeah. Mikael didn't kill him. He still lives in New Orleans. And before you get mad at him for not trying to find you, you should know that he's mad at you for not checking if he was still alive." She tells him as she sits next to him.

"He'll get over it." Klaus shrugs still shocked as the other vampires look to them.

"Who the hell's Marcel?" Damon asks as he pours himself another drink.

"Klaus's… ward?" She turns to Klaus as he nods.

"You have a kid?" Damon asks before smirking at Elena. "Aww, you're gonna be a great step mom." He says while she swats his hands away from her cheeks. "Or mom. Didn't you say he can have kids now? What are we hoping for? Boy or girl?" He jokes, she flips him the bird with a scoff.

"As if! I take my yeetus the fetus pills on the regs." She says, noticing Klaus's sigh of relief, making her turn to him.

"Uh, what was that? Why are you relieved?" She asks with a raised brow.

"Bit early in our relationship to be having children together. Don't you think, love?" He replies with a smirk.

"Yeah, no shit. I can't even keep my phone alive. Klaus, you didn’t sleep with me without a prophylactic, not knowing I'm birth control, right?" She asks with shock as he scoffs.

"I haven't had to worry about it for a thousand years, Ellie. My apologies, it slipped my mind." He says with an eye rolls as she stares with an open mouth.

"You're a dumbass." She deadpans before turning to the others. "He's a dumbass." She says. "Absolutely unbelievable!" She throws her hands up in frustration.

"Back to the whole trying to protect us thing. What have you been hiding from me and Stef?" Damon asks.

"Umm. Shit. Alright, your mom was turned into a vampire." She admits as the brothers suck in a sharp breath and stare at her.

"No." Damon denies simply as Stefan continues to stare sadly.

"Yes." She says softly.

"No." Damon repeats as Stefan grabs her hand.

"When? How?" Stefan rushes out as she squeezes his hand.

"She was fed vampire blood while she was dying, after she succumbed to the consumption, she woke up in transition." She explains as he listens to her with a lost expression. "She came back." She says as Damon looks to her. "She wanted to take you two with her, but… Stef, she was a ripper. She didn't want to accidentally hurt you, so she left." She finishes, bringing the brothers into a hug.

"So she left me to be purposely hurt by Giuseppe?" Damon questions in outrage as Stefan whispers.

"She's a ripper?"

"Where is she? I don't care about affecting the timeline, where the hell is she?" Damon asks Elena as he stands, pacing slightly.

"A prison world." She answers as she looks to Enzo with sympathy. "In 1903, she was ambushed by a coven of witches, who trapped her in a prison world, it's exactly like our world except it repeats the same day over and over again. Before she was locked away she turned a dying man." She says as Enzo's eyes widen. "Surprise." Mutters as Stefan and Damon look between the two.

"Oh, come on." Damon exclaims with disbelief as Stefan pours himself a drink. "How is that even possible?" Damon asks, taking the drink from Stefan and downing it.

"Is it possible to free her?" Stefan asks as Damon snorts with an eye roll.

"Not with the current coven leader, but I have a plan to uh… bring in new management." Elena smirks as they all raise a brow at the mischief in her eyes.

"Not necessary." Damon tells her with a fake smile as Stefan furrows his brows. "She left us, I say we leave her." He adds with a nonchalant shrug as she smiles at him sympathetically.

"Anything else you'd like to tell us, love?" Klaus asks pulling Elena closer to him as she raises a brow.

"Um… if theoretically, I recently developed the ability to temporarily transport Mikael's soul from the otherside into this plane and occasionally fuck with him, would you want to know?" She asks as the vampires in the room groan.

"Christ, Ellie." Damon runs a hand over his face as Klaus clenches his jaw.

"Excuse me?" Klaus asks in a blank tone, Elena looks to him with confusion.

"I think I was very clear." She says turning to the vampires for conformation.

"How long?" Klaus asks in exasperation.

"Since the procedure." Elena mumbles, making the others groan.

"That was so long ago!" Damon exclaims as Klaus nods and looks at her with a worried expression.

"How often do you talk to my father?" He asks.

"Not that often and usually only while I sleep. It's kinda awesome actually, I have these powers in this like dreamscape thing, super handy when I'm torturing him." Elena rambles as the others look to in question.

"Did you just says torture?" Enzo asks with amusement as she nods excitedly.

"Yeah. Mostly psychological." She comments with a shrug.

"Mostly?" Damon questions.

"Mostly." She smirks as Klaus huffs.

"Any more revelations you'd like to share?" Klaus asks as she taps her chin.

"We should probably kill Lucian." She says, making him groan.

"Of course." He says with a shake of the head as Stefan turns to Elena.

"When can we get to this prison world?" Stefan asks as Damon frowns.

"Soon." She promises.

"So, your mom faked her death, became a ripper, turned me, was sent to a prison world, then I'm held captive with her son years later?" Enzo recaps as Elena shrugs.

"Give or take a few details." She says as Damon clenches his jaw in anger.

"She doesn't matter." Damon snaps before taking a deep breath. "Beside, shouldn't we be talking about how Ellie's a psychic now." He says as Enzo hands him a glass with an apologetic expression.

"As much as I love talking about myself, there's not really anything to say. I've only been able to talk to Mikael and I only saw Amara that one time." She says with disappointment.

"We'll figure it out. In the meantime, Enzo can let us know whether or not he forgives me." Damon turns to Enzo, making her smile.

"Ask me tomorrow." Enzo says, throwing back a shot and pouring another.

"Oh, come on. You can't possibly still be mad." Damon states stubbornly.

"Just, shut up and drink." Enzo hands Stefan and Damon shots. "You look like you need it." Enzo says to Stefan, noticing his sad expression.

"I'm sorry, guys. I really didn't want to spill it like this, but I felt like it was pretty shitty to keep it to myself." Elena apologizes to the group.

"It's okay, El. You were just trying to protect us." Stefan sends her a smile before downing his shot as Klaus runs a finger along Elena's thigh, causing her to raise a brow at him, receiving only a grin in response.

"To drinking our problems away." Enzo toasts as the others laugh and raise their glasses.

"I'm really glad you guys are bonding." Elena says as Klaus stands, pulling her with him. "We'll leave you to it. We're gonna go… have sex." Elena finishes with a giddy smile as the other vampires make a face, she turns to Klaus. "If that's what you want. Because it's totally cool if you don't. Like, if you just wanna cuddle, totally fine by me." She half teases as he leads her out of the room with an eye roll.

After a moment Elena runs back into the room and kisses Enzo's cheek. "I'm really glad you're here." She sends him a sweet smile that he returns instantly.

After she walks out the room, she peaks her head back in. "You guys should probably go out, it's probably gonna get loud." She says with a teasing smirks as the three vampires groan in disgust and stand from their seats. "Love you!" She calls as they leave before walking towards Klaus's room. "Hey, if we could get a witch to, I don't know, spell some original hybrid proof handcuffs, would you be into that?" Elena asks as she enters the room.


	41. Relapse

Elena watches with interest as Klaus moves around the kitchen as he plating the breakfast he made and sets it down in front of her.

Elena moans loudly as she takes a bite and turns to him. "I changed my mind." She says seriously. "Marriage is not an antiquated institution only necessarily for the survival of the species. Marry me." She demands as he sits down next to her with a smile.

"Sorry, love. I still believe that." He responds in an apologetic tone, making her laugh and lean forward, kissing him before pulling away after they hear a groan.

"Ugh, can you not? We eat here." Damon says as he enters the room.

"You didn't come home last night. Blonde or brunette?" Elena asks, taking another bite of her breakfast and looking at him with a smile.

"Redhead." He states with a proud smile she instantly returns.

"Nice. Me too. Kinda." She says, running her hand through Klaus's hair.

"No. He's more dirty blonde." Damon says, looking at Klaus with slightly tilted head as Elena shakes her head.

"Yeah, but red in the sun." She argues as Klaus looks between them with confusion.

"Doesn't count." Damon replies as she shrugs.

"The two of you, are far too close." Klaus comments as Damon and Elena's eyes snap to him.

"Watch your mouth." Elena reprimands as Damon says, "Take it back." Klaus raises his hands in surrender with an amused smile.

"Don't listen to him, ocean eyes. He doesn't know how close friends are supposed to be, he doesn't have any." She says with mock sympathy.

"I thought we were friends." Klaus says, wiping the corner of her mouth and sucking his finger seductively as she chews her lip and leans towards him.

"No, that's fine. Why don't you just have sex right in front of me?" Damon says with annoyance, breaking their eye contact as Elena raises a brow.

"If you wanted to watch, all you had to do was ask." She teases as he turns away with an eye roll.

"Where's Stefan?" Damon asks with an exasperated sigh as Elena furrows her brows.

"I don't think he came home last night." She says as Klaus shakes his head.

"I heard him come in while you were sleeping." He tells her as she stands and walks with Damon to Stefan’s room.

"Stef, you up? Klaus made breakfast." Elena says as she knocks on his door. 

Damon bumps her out of the way and opens the door, revealing a disheveled, blood covered, Stefan curled in a ball at the foot of his bed. 

Elena covers her mouth in shock before walking towards him as Damon follows behind in stunned silence.

"I- I didn't. I don't-" Stefan stutters out as he looks to Elena with an expression so heartbreaking it makes her chest tightens painfully as she drops down next to him.

"Oh, baby." Elena whispers as he puts his head in his hands and brings his knees to his chest.

"I was just feeding, but then I started thinking about my mom and how she's also a ripper. El, what if I've just been fooling myself into thinking I have control? What if it's hereditary?" He rambles as she rubs his back. "I lost control." He admits in a quiet tone as Elena makes eye contact with Klaus, who nods and leaves the room as Damon sits down on the other side of Stefan.

"Hey, Stef it's alright." Damon tries to calm his brother in a gentle tone as Stefan shakes his head.

"No. No, it's not alright." Stefan denies. "It's not alright. I lost control." He repeats as Elena stands, taking his hands in her and pulling him up.

"Come on." She says quietly, leading him to the bathroom. "Sit." She says as she sits him down on the edge of the bathtub. "Up." She says in a soft tone, raising his arm as he sends her a pointed look.

"I'm not a child." He says with a defeated sigh as she smiles slightly.

"Good, cause if you were, I'd definitely be in jail for all my thoughts." She jokes as she pulls his bloody shirt over his head and he lets out a breath through his nose. Elena grabs a towel and wets it under the sink before wiping Stefan's chin and neck of any blood. "Get a shirt, please." Elena says to Damon.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Elena asks after handing the shirt Damon retrieved to Stefan.

"I don't know what to say." Stefan says as he washes the blood off his hands in the sink. "Are you gonna lock me up now?" He asks with defeat.

"Why would we ever do that?" Elena asks with furrowed brows as he drys his hands.

"Aren't you worried I'm gonna go on a binge?" He asks looking between his brother and Elena with shame written across his face.

"Are you kidding? We'll join you." Elena replies, gesturing between herself and Damon as he sighs.

"I'm serious, El." He says as she nods.

"I know and I hate it." She admits, taking his hand in hers and pulling him back into the bedroom.

"Stef, you lost control, it happens. Alright, I do it all the time. It's no big deal." Damon says with a nonchalant shrug, patting Stefan on the shoulder.

"It is to me, Damon." Stefan says, taking a seat on the bed, Elena following. "I killed someone." He sighs. "And I know you think people are just cattle or whatever, but that's not how I feel, and that's not who I am." He says sadly in a quiet tone as Elena pulls him into a hug.

"I know. I'm sorry." She whispers in his ear as his arms tightens around her. "We're not locking you up." She promises as Damon sits down next to her.

Damon observes his brother's face pressed against Elena's neck with a smile. "Well at least we know the ripper's actually dead." He says making Stefan and Elena look to him with confusion. "You have your lips against her carotid. If you were lost in the sweet red sauce, dear Ellie's head would be on the other side of the room by now." He says with a laugh as Stefan looks at Elena's neck with furrowed brows, moving her hair out of the way and leaning forward.

"I don't want to kill you." He says, making eye contact with her before turning to his brother, "I don't want to kill her!" He exclaims loudly making Damon and Elena laugh at his expression.

"Well, I should hope not. It'd cost a fortune to get her blood out of the carpet." Klaus says with a smirk, leaning against the door frame as the three friends roll their eyes. "One of my minions took care of the body, you left a rather obvious trail of blood straight to our front door." Klaus criticizes, making them roll their eyes again.

"Klaus, stop calling the hybrids your minions. It's dehumanizing." She says as he scoffs.

"You insisted I pay them a yearly salary and provide lodging, I'm going to call them whatever I please." He tells hers. "Anyway, I have some things to take care of. I'll see you tonight." He says with a nod, turning around and walking away as Elena yells after him, 

"Well who needs you. You were getting clingy anyway." She mutters childishly, before turning to the brothers with a wide smile. "Let's have a Salvatore/Ellie night!" Elena proposes as the two look to her with question. "You know like the council party and halloweekend. Just us chillin, seeing where the night goes." She explains, making them smile at each other.

"Okay. We're in. What would you like to do first?" Stefan asks as an excited smile spreads across her face.  
___

"Alright, we have popcorn, of the sweet and salty variety." Elena says, setting down two bags of popcorn on the bed as the brothers watch her with amusement. "Comfy pajama pants to be worn by the two of you, shirts optional." She wiggles her eyebrows as they roll their eyes. "And Taxi Driver, 'You talkin' to me?" She quotes with squinted eyes making the brother laugh as she climbs into the middle of the bed.

"Scorsese?" Damon raises a brow as he sits down next to her.

"Stef loves him. Right?" She turns to Stefan as he nods, leaving the room and returning in his pajamas and laying on the other side of her.

"Isn't this cozy?" She asks as she makes herself comfortable between the two and plays the movie.

About half an hour into the movie, Stefan looks over to Elena with a smile before taking the remote and pausing the movie, making Elena and Damon look to him with confusion.

"Thank you." He tells her with a soft tone as she shrugs with a smile. "No really, I know you hate this movie. Thank you for pretending." He says as she grimaces slightly.

"Sorry. It's just, this movie is sooo boring and child prostitution is not my cup of tea." She admits, patting his arm as he laughs and shakes his head.

"Maybe I shouldn't avoid talking about what happened." He ponders, scooting down in the bed and putting his head on the pillow.

"Wanna do a sharing circle?" Elena asks as the brothers look to each other with identical expressions.

"What in the hell is a sharing circle?" Damon asks incredulously as she giggles.

"I do it with Rem. Whenever he was feeling down about our parents we would sit together in bed and take turns sharing our feelings. I read it in a parenting book after they died." She explains as they shrug. "Okay, I'll start, I feel bad for leaving my friends to come on this trip." She admits as they both pat her arm in comfort. "Now you." She says, turning to Damon.

"Uh, I feel… that Stefan should go before me." He says with furrowed brows as Stefan and Elena laugh.

"I feel horrible about what I did to that guy. I mean, he probably had a life and a family and a future that I took. And not for my survival or to save someone, but because I lost control. He didn't deserve it." Stefan finishes sadly as Elena lays down beside him and puts her chin on his arm before turning to look at the ceiling.

"I feel guilty for taking away your happiness." She confesses with vulnerability, surprising the brothers. "For taking away your epic loves." She continues as Stefan takes her hand.

"We might not be in love, but what we have is epic." Stefan says as Damon nods in agreement. "I've never trusted someone so fast or as easily. You're my best friend, El and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." He tells her honestly as she shakes her slightly and looks to him.

"And I love you for saying that, Stef. But I never told you about you and OG Elena's life together." She says looking between the two with a guilty expression.

"It couldn't have been that great." Damon says shaking his head as Elena turns to him.

"But it was." She starts. "For years, you guys fought through unrequited love, murder sprees, guilt, feelings of unworthiness, sacrifices, werewolf bites, vampirism, 2000 year old psychopaths, prison worlds, lost memories, and a freaking magical coma just to be together. And it paid off, because you guys took the cure and had a family. You lived a long and happy life together and I took that away from you." She finishes, looking at the ceiling with a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Ellie, I don't want that." He shrugs as she sighs.

"Maybe not now-" Damon interrupts.

"No, not ever. And you know why?" He asks as she shakes her head. "Because you don't want that." He says as she flinched in shock.

"What I want is a long and happy life with you. And Stefan. And maybe even your little scooby gang. But not with her, some girl I've never even met. With you, my best friend, the girl who gave me my brother back and never once judged me for who I am." He finishes with a deep breath, laughing when Elena and Stefan continue to stare at him in shock with open mouths. "How's that for a sharing circle." He jokes smugly, snapping them out of their shock as Elena pulls him down to her level and wraps her body around his like a sloth.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." She kisses all over his face as Stefan laughs and leans into her side.

"Okay, okay. Enough. Go slobber all over Stefan." He says with a smile, wiping his face as she smiles down at him, then pulls both brothers into a hug.

"I feel loved." She says teasingly with a nod making them laugh and cling tighter to her. "You know, someone once said 'As long as I have a Salvatore on each arm, I'm doomed." She says, running both hands through their hair. "What does having one on each tit mean?" She asks observing they way they are laying across her, throwing all three of them into heavy laughter. 

Elena pushes them off and stands on the bed as they both smile up at her. "Let's go out." She says as she starts bouncing.

"Where would you like to go?" Stefan asks with amusement as she stops bouncing and brings her hand to her chin in thought.

"Milkshakes!" She yells, jumping off the bed with two laughing Salvatores following.  
____

"Thank you, beautiful." Elena flirts with the girl behind the counter while she sets down their milkshakes as the Salvatores rolls their eyes with a smile.

"That'll be $9.25." The girl says with a blush across her cheeks.

"I got it, this is on me." Elena says, holding out her hand to stop Damon from pulling out his wallet before reaching for her own. "Who's card shall I use today?" She asks herself. "Nikky's? The Suit's? Uncle Dad? Damon's?" She leans away, dodging Damon's attempt to grab his card. "Mr. Lockwolf's?" Elena whispers longingly as the brothers look to her in disbelief.

"I'm sorry. You have the mayor of Mystic Falls, presumably stolen, credit card in your wallet?" Damon asks with wide eyes as she sighs.

"I don't use it. I just like the power." She admits, stroking the card creepily as Stefan stares at her with furrowed brows and pursed lips.

"El, don't take this the wrong way, but out of anyone I've ever met, you have the most potential to be a real life super villain." Stefan tells her as she brings a hand to her heart and tilts her head.

"Thank you." She whispers with genuine gratitude, eyes watering slightly before she sighs. "But sadly, that won't happen. I have all of the charisma, but none of the social ties to the community." She adds with disappointment, making the brothers laugh as the girl behind the counter stares at them in confusion.

"I'm sorry. Is that a stolen card?" She asks with concern as Damon rolls his eyes and makes contact with her.

"No, everything's fine." He compels, she smiles and nods.

___

"Oh my god. Please." Elena says with wide doe eyes as they come across a bar with a 'karaoke night' sign in their window while walking down the street.

"Absolutely not." Damon says at the same time Stefan says, "Never in a million years."

…

"I like big butts and I cannot lie

You other brothers can't deny

That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face, you get sprung

Wanna pull up tough 'cause you notice that butt was stuffed

Deep in the jeans she's wearin'

I'm hooked and I can't stop starin'

Oh, baby, I wanna get wit'cha

And take your picture

My homeboys tried to warn me

But that butt you got makes" Elena and Damon point to Stefan

"M-me so horny!' He says into the mic as the bar patron cheer them on.

"Oh, Rump-o'-smooth-skin

You say you wanna get in my Benz?

Well, use me, use me

'Cause you ain't that average groupie

I've seen 'em dancin'

To hell with romancin'

She's sweat, wet

Got it goin' like a turbo 'Vette

I'm tired of magazines

Sayin' flat butts are the thing

Take the average black man and ask him that

She gotta pack much back

So, fellas!" 

"Yeah!" Stefan rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Fellas!" Elena and Damon yell.

"Yeah!" Stefan repeats.

"Has your girlfriend got the butt?" They asks the crowd.

"Hell yeah!" They scream back.

"Tell 'em to shake it!"

"Shake it!" Stefan yells into the mic

"Shake that healthy butt!

Baby got back!" They finish with a laugh, making their way down the stage and walking to the bar. 

"Was that so bad?" She asks smugly as they roll their eyes.

"No, it was very fun." Stefan admits as she smiles brightly.

"You bet your fine ass it was." She says before turning to the bartender. "What would you recommend to someone who is being crushed by the weight of eternal guilt?" She asks as the bartender furrows his brows in thought.

"Cheap tequila on an empty stomach." He says with a nod before she turns to Stefan.

"Four for the gentleman!" She says, throwing an arm around Stefan’s shoulder and hitting the bar.

____

"Shit." Elena says under her breath as she stumbles through Klaus's bedroom door, only slightly tipsy. She swears.

"You look like you had fun." Klaus says with amusement as she nods her head frantically.

"And you look adorable." She she replies, bopping his nose as she climbs over him in bed, accidentally kneeling him in the ribs, causing him to groan.

"Sorry." She whispers, trying to sit next to him with a serious expression.

"Did you wait up for me?" She asks, making him roll his eyes.

"I did give my word to your aunt to keep you safe. It would have been broken had the ripper, well ripped your head off." He defends him self as she smirks at him.

"I'm sure. But Stef's fine. He just had a slip up. He's strong. If anyone can get through this, it's him." She says definitively, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You guys are very close. Clearing he's attracted to you and with as much as you flirt with him, the same could be said for you. Why didn't you ever get together?" He asks with curiosity.

"I'm aromantic." She says simply before continuing, "I don't feel romantic attraction-" He interrupts with a nod.

"I know what it means." He laughs lightly.

"I don't really talk about, I mean I'm not ashamed or anything I just don't really care about labels. And if I have a feeling, I'll go with it." She shrugs before looking over to him. "You're the first person I've ever slept with that I had an emotional connection with first." He raises is brows in surprise. "Always sex first then we become friends, because I don't if you know this or not, but I'm very loveable." She teases. "You fall somewhere between causal lay and baby boo." She admits as they laugh.

"I'm good with that." He replies with a smile as she nods.

"Me too." She says with a kiss before he pulls back with a scrunched nose. "What? Don't like tequila and milkshakes?" She asks teasingly as he smiles and silent shakes his head. "But if I did feel romantic attraction, oooh I would have reversed haremed all you bitches." She says making him laugh as she scoots down in the bed.

"Do I wanna know what that means?" He asks, coping her and letting her lay her head on his chest.

"Probably not." She says with a smile. 

After a few moments of silence she looks at him with her chin on his chest and wide vulnerable eyes. "Is Stef gonna be okay?" She whispers as he looks down at her, moving the hair off her forhead.

"He's got you, hasn't he?" He replies, making her smile and nod.

"Always." She whispers back, laying her head down and drifts off to sleep as he stares at nothing while rubbing her back.

She suddenly shoots up and looks to him with wide eyes. "Will you make waffles in the morning?" She asks with urgency, making him laugh and nod.

"Sure." He replies kissing her head as she falls back asleep.


	42. Kathy

"We need to send her flowers and champagne and those chocolate covered fruit platter thingies." Elena lists off as she lays on her stomach with furrowed brows.

"And you're completely certain your friend is going to win?" Klaus asks from his spot, laying across her naked back as she nods.

"Yes. I saw it and even if I didn't, Caroline Forbes was born to be Miss Mystic Falls. Obsessive, peppy, perky, organized, she's a judge panel's wet dream." She says wistfully. "You know, my mom won back in her day." She adds with a smile.

"Really? You were raised by someone who won a pageant?" He asks with disbelief, making her roll her eyes with a snort.

"Yeah, you know my dad was a doctor, right? They were the poster children for a nuclear family. We were like the Bradys except Remy and I don't want to fuck each other." He rolls his eyes with an amused smile. 

Knock Knock

They hear Stefan call out from the otherside of the door, "Hey, Me and Damon are gonna go get something to, uh, eat…" He trails off nervously as Elena rolls over with a worried expression, pushing Klaus off of her and pulling his henley over her head.

Running to the door and throwing it open, Elena tackles Stefan into a tight hug that he immediately reciprocates, she pulls away with a kind smile. "You'll do great." She assures as he rubs the back of his neck. "Seriously. And if you hurt someone, well I won't care, but I will be here for you." She promises as he smiles at her with a nod.

"Thank you." He says before looking towards Klaus, finding him only in a sheet and looks back to Elena, raising a brow at her lack of clothing. "Damon and I were here all day, and so were his hybrids." He says with confusion as she smirks.

"One way sound proofing. Gotta love witches." She says with a wide smile as he laughs and shakes his head.

"Goodbye, Elena." He says, sending her a fond smile before leaving the door way.

"Love you, Steffy." She yells, laughing when she hears a quiet 'Don't call me Steffy' as she makes her way back to the bed and lays across Klaus's chest.

"Back to my Care Bear, can you paint her a portrait, or is that too much?" She asks, moving her head to face him and finding him staring off into space. "Hey, you good?" She asks, waving her hand in front of his face.

"How do you do that? He asks as she stares at him in confusion.

"What?"she asks, resting her chin on his chest as he looks down at her.

"Ignore the things we do?" He says as she continues to stare in confusion.

"I don't follow." 

"Stefan, Damon, myself, how do you ignore all the terrible things we do? Stefan took a life the other day, and regardless of your self proclaimed apathy, you're still a kind, good natured, and relatively innocent person. How do you ignore that?" He asks as she turns on her back with a thoughtful expression before smiling and releasing a small laugh.

"I don't." At his now confused expression she continues, "Loving someone is loving all of them. The parts they hide or are ashamed of. The parts others cower from and the parts they, themselves hate." She turns, resting her head in her hand. "If I were to love you for just these moments, the laying in bed and asking weird questions or when you make fun of shitty movies with me, and not love you when you're being a complete fucking psychopath, then I wouldn't love you, I'd just love one part of you. Every detail. Every bad deed, every forehead kiss, every moment of tenderness, and every innocent life threatened, that's who you are. How could I ever claim to love you, if I hate any part?" She asks, lightly tracing his lips with her finger as he stares at her with an unreadable expression.

"You love me?" He with disbelief as she rolls her eyes.

"Duh." She replies, before straddling his waist with a smirk. "So, are you gonna asks another emotionally loaded question or can we have sex again?" She asks, snapping him out of his daze before a playful smirk spreads across his lips and he flips her over and lightly bites her neck with blunt teeth, making her giggle and push his shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey, rule number four, remember?" He raises a brow as she grins at him. "Never get high on your own supply." She laughs at her own joke as he smiles down at her.

"You are one strange human." He meets her eyes as she smiles.

"So I've been told." She replies, kissing him before her phone rings.

"One minute. Keep this energy." She says, sitting up and climbing over him, grabbing her phone before grimacing at the caller ID.

"Ahoy, BD." She answers as Klaus looks at her with a raised brow, making her shrug as she hears a sigh on the other end.

"Elena." The voice greets. "What does BD stand for?" They ask with slight amusement.

"Bio dad. But also, big di- um, you know what? Never mind. What's up?" She asks awkwardly.

"Just calling to check on you. How have you been?" John asks with an odd tone as she makes a face.

"Things are great! I'm great. Still top of my class and kicking Sarah Fell's ass at everything I do." She lies with only minimal guilt.

"Really?" He asks with mock surprise as she purses her lips. "That's great, sweetheart. Except I'm standing in your kitchen, where a fairly large white board reads 'Days since Ellie left with that old dude to pay for Kat's freedom'. Isn't that strange?" He asks as she curses under her breath.

"Ugh, dammit Jer Bear, if ever a time to be nondescript! Just listen-" He cuts her off.

"What the hell is going on, Elena?" He asks with anger lacing his tone.

"Alright, obviously this looks bad. But, I can explain." She says in a soothing tone, trying to calm him.

"I'm listening." He states with, she's assuming, a very clenched jaw.

" ... Fine, he hit it right on the head. I left with Klaus in exchange for Katherine's freedom. Look, before you freak, I know you don't approve-" He interrupts.

"Come home right now." He demands sternly as she smiles slightly.

"That's not really how kidnapping works, pop." She jokes as she hears something shattering on the other end.

"This is not a joke, Elena. You need to come home. Anything could happen to you. Klaus is a monster, he could do anything to you!" He shouts with worry, she smothers a smirk as Klaus places lazy kisses across her bare shoulders.

"John, listen to me." She demands in a serious tone, surprising both him and Klaus. "I am very grateful that you care so much about my well being, but it's unnecessary. I may have left some things out in our last few conversations, but you and I both know you would have tried to ruin my plans. I'm fine. I'm safe. And I'm healthy. I will be back eventually, and Jenna makes me call her everyday with updates of my whereabouts." She takes a deep breath. "Speaking of my saint of an aunt, I swear to god, John, if you make her feel like shit for letting me leave, I will do something crazy and Ellie like. Understood?" She asks as she hears John sigh.

"I'm just worried about you." He admits reluctantly as she smiles.

"I know. But, you don't need to be, because I'm fine. Anyway, why are Mystic Falls? Is something wrong?" She questions, changing the subject.

"About that… Isobel called." He says as a large smile appears on her face.

"Really? How is mommy dearest. Still carry around your balls in her handbag?" She asks with mock curiosity as Klaus snorts from behind her.

"It's not like that." He says through gritted teeth. "She called and said Katherine went radio silent, she wanted me to check on you." He says as she rolls her eyes.

"Wow. Egg donor of the year!" She says cheers sarcastically.

"Elena." He reprimands with a sigh.

"Johnathan." She replies in the same tone. "I know what you're going to say, so don't. If she wanted to be in my life, she could've been. Look, I gotta go. Don't be a dick to Jen or Remy, okay?" Elena asks before hanging up, not waiting for his response. 

"You okay-" She cuts off his question with a nod and a fake smile.

"Totally. Where were we?" She asks, wiggling her brows before kissing him. He pulls away and raises a brow, making her huff.

"I will be." She assures, kissing him again as he pulls her into his lap. Her phone rings again, making them both groan.

"Ignore it." He mumbles against her lip as she sends him an apologetic look, reaching for her phone.

"It could be Rem." She says before looking at the caller ID and squealing loudly.

"Talk dirty to me." She answers as Klaus looks at her with amusement.

____

"Kitty Kat!" Elena shouts with excitement as she runs past the group of werewolves, straight into Katherine's arms.

"Calm down, would you?" She reprimands with a small smile, trying to avoid looking past Elena's head.

"Now, now, Katerina. She's just happy to see you. After all, she did pay for your ability to be here with her freedom." Klaus tsks, shaking his head, making Katherine's body tense as Elena sends her an apologetic smile.

"Hey, we talked about this." Elena says, turning to Klaus, who only smirks in return.

"El." Elena hears a familiar voice say from behind her, causing her to turn around with a grin.

"Mason Lockwood." She greets. "It's been awhile. Still blowing your inheritance on surfboards and flip flops?" She asks innocently as he rolls his eyes.

"How's Ty?" He ignores her insult as she smiles at the mention of her friend.

"He's great. You'd know that, if you ever called." She snarks as Katherine clears her throat.

"Alright, that's enough. We have some things to take care of, I will see you later." She pats Mason’s cheek as she grabs Elena's arm and pulls her away before stopping and turning back to him. "It's been fun. No hard feelings." She says, confusing him as Elena snickers.

"I expect her back, unharmed by tomorrow. If she so much as stubs her toe, I will remind you exactly why you ran from me for half a millennium." Klaus threatens Katherine as they walk past him, making Katherine's heart race and Elena roll her eyes.

"I'll be fine. Stop threatening her." Elena says to him before leaning in and whispering something in his ear, kissing his cheek as she pulls away. She turns around, facing the thoroughly confused pack of wolves. "Bye, Mason." She calls out teasingly as Katherine pulls her away. "I always knew he wanted to fuck me." She says smugly as Katherine shakes her head with a smile.  
___

"So, what have you been up to these last few months?" Katherine asks Elena after the waiter sets down their food.

"Besides hitting all the hottest tourist sites of bumfuck USA and developing slight alcoholism?" She jokes, making her doppelgänger snort. "No, I'm kidding. It's been great. Really great." She smirks as Katherine raises a brow. "Don't worry, not your Salvatores. Or is it a certain impeccably dressed original you're worried about?" Elena questions teasingly as Katherine stares at her incredulously.

"You didn't." She states with disbelief as Elena takes a bite of her fry with a wide grin and shrugs. "You slept with Klaus? Like, the Klaus?" She continues, making Elena roll her eyes.

"It's not a big deal. Let's talk about you." Elena changes the subject as Katherine holds up her hands in surrender. "What have you been doing? What do you do when you're not running for your life, destroying brotherly bonds, or building my sacrificial altar?" Elena asks, taking a sip of her milkshake and sending her doppelgänger a pointed look as the vampire rolls her eyes.

"God, that was months ago. Are you ever gonna get over it?" Katherine asks, making Elena scoff.

"My deepest apologies." She replies sarcastically, throwing a fry at Katherine. "How goes the search for your spawn?" She asks as Katherine sends her an unimpressed look, making her smile.

"Not great, travelers are annoyingly well hidden. There's a coven a few hours away I'm going to talk to." Katherine answers as Elena’s brows furrow.

"I figured you could just contact everyone you know and tell them to get the word out about Nadia." Elena says as Katherine shakes her head with annoyance.

"I've made countless enemies in my effort to hide from Klaus. And the only thing keeping those aware of my runaway status from hunting me, is the threat of facing Klaus's wrath. If people know I'm free, they will come for me." She explains as Elena nods. "Whatever, I'll figure it out, I always do. Let's get back to you hooking up with the man that killed you." Katherine changes the subject as Elena laughs. 

"There's nothing to say. It just happened." She shrugs as Katherine mock shivers.

"But, him?" She judges. 

"We've been on the road for months and having to constantly explain my kinks to randos, gets kinda old, so it was either him or the Salvatores and you have dibs on them. Or guess I could have tried to get with Eli. I'm surprised he didn't try to go three for three." Elena comments as Katherine rolls her eyes.

"I understand the logistics, but he just so…" She trails off, making Elena interject.

"Angry?" She asks. "Scary? Controlling? Temperamental? Dickish?" Elena offers as Katherine nods. 

"Yes. And self satisfied and arrogant." Katherine criticizes as Elena shrugs.

"I know, and I'm into it. His whole 'you are beneath me' thing, makes me want to get beneath him. Or on top. Or from behind, or on the side. Or against a wall." She trails off with a dazed smile as Katherine fake gags in disgust.

"I'm not coming to the wedding." Katherine states sternly, making Elena laugh.

"That's really too bad. Because I wanted you to be the maid of honor and I'm sure Elijah would be best man." Elena responds, wiggling her eyebrows as Katherine rolls her eyes. 

"Where is Elijah?" Katherine tries to ask causally, making Elena raise a brow in challenge. "I just assumed he would be with Klaus. I don't care." She says as Elena nods.

"Of course not. And I'm not sure. That dude is a mystery. He just pops in every few towns to chastise Klaus, then leaves." Elena tells a very uninterested Katherine. "Hey, maybe he knows about travelers." Elena says with a thoughtful expression as Katherine shakes her head.

"No, I really don't want to get involved with him. Or any of the originals for that matter." Katherine says making Elena shrug. 

"You said there was a coven a few hours away." Katherine nods. "Let's go." Elena says, bouncing in her seat as Katherine raises a brow. "Oh, come on. I promised to help you find Nadia. This is me helping." Elena says, standing up and dragging Katherine out of her seat.  
___

"That's not cliché." Elena says sarcastically as they stand outside an occult shop.

"You know what they say about hiding in plain sight." Katherine replies as they walk inside.

"That it's stupid and only tricks idiots." She whispers back as they walk towards the back of the small shop.

"How can I help you today?" The woman behind the counter asks with a smile before turning a glare on Katherine. "Out." She demands. "We don't get involved in-" Elena interrupts.

"In vampire business. Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before. Fortunately for you, this has nothing to do with bloodsuckers. We need you to tell us everything you know about the travelers, and how exactly to find them." Elena rushes out at Katherine and the witch stare at her in disbelief. "Uh, I mean, could you please help us." She corrects herself weakly.

"Ellie, shut up." Katherine commands with a smile before turning to the witch.

"My name's Katherine." The vampire introduces herself as the witch raises a hand and makes a fist, causing Katherine to drop to the ground in pain, grabbing her head.

"Oh, I know. Doppelgängers. I would've thought you were twins if you didn't have that old magic surrounding you." The witch says as Katherine stands with gritted teeth and glare at her.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone, I really do just need some information." She says as the witch makes a surprised face at the emotion in Katherine's voice.

"What would you want with the travelers?" She asks defensively as Elena sighs and turns around, deciding to wander the shop.

"That's not important." Katherine says keeping an eye on Elena as a man comes down the stairs and looks to the witch with concern.

"May, who are they?" He asks before his eyes widen and he lifts his fist, making Katherine grab her head again.

"Stop. They're just here for information." The witch named May defends lamely, making the man release Katherine as she glares with annoyance.

"The next person to do that is getting their throat ripped out." She threatens making Elena laugh as she accidentally drops something.

"I'll pay for that." She calls out as the man stares at her with furrowed brows.

"Doppelgängers?" He asks as May nods, causing him to send an unreadable look to Elena before turning to Katherine.

"What do you want?" He asks with hostility, making the Petrova women roll their identical eyes.

"They asked about travelers." May supplies, making him nod and and walk further into the shop, pulling a book from and brings it to them, dropping it on the counter aggressively.

"There. Traveler history. That'll be $26.34, have a nice day." He says with false enthusiasm as the vampire sends him a threatening look. 

"I have it on good authority that someone in this coven knows where to find some travelers. I'm willing to pay." Katherine says, trying to hide her desperation from the two skeptical witches as they look to each other in silent conversation.

"Fine. But I never want to see you again. Forget this coven's existence and we have a deal." May says, making Katherine nod.

"Good choice, I'm sure she would have started to threaten your family members." Elena says coming up behind Katherine and setting something down on the counter. "Also, you sure about not wanting any money? This place could do with hiring a maid of some sort. Kinda dusty." She adds, wiping her hands on her pants as the witches look to her incredulously. "Or, you do you." She holds her hands up before turning Katherine. "Can I have that?" She asks, pointing to the crystal sitting on the counter and widening her doe eyes, making her doppelgänger roll her eyes and nod.

"Whatever." She answers, turning to the witches. "Tell me how to find the travelers and I'll take the crystal." Katherine says, making Elena bounce happily, grabbing the stone and tossing it up in the air and catching it.  
____

"Philly?" Elena asks with disbelief as the two doppelgängers make their way back to Katherine's car.

"Yep. You have a problem with Philadelphia or something?" She asks, making Elena shake her head.

"No. It's just, you can be anywhere and you choose Philly? Not even New York?" She asks as Katherine shrugs while they get in the car. "I'm kinda disappointed." Elena says with a sigh as the vampire looks to her with confusion.

"About Philadelphia?" She asks, making Elena laugh.

"No. I was kinda hoping we'd have to kick some ass." She says as Katherine raises a brow. "Okay, fine. I was hoping to see you kick some ass." She corrects herself as Katherine shakes her head.

"I'm a hell of a negotiator. No need for violence when you can talk your way out of any situation." Katherine swings her hair smugly as she starts her car, making Elena giggle. 

"Right, I forgot. You’re a master manipulator." Elena says dramatically as Katherine nods.

"And don’t you forget it. And put your seatbelt on." She scolds as Elena rolls her eyes.

"Aww, you're such a good mommy." She pinches the vampire's cheek with a pout, going silent when Katherine only looks out the window with a blank expression. "You are, Kat. I told you, Nadia's gonna love you." Elena promises, squeezing her hand with a smile.

Katherine's about to reply when the car suddenly makes a loud sound, stopping in the middle of the seat as Elena looks around suspiciously.

"Oh, no. I've seen this movie before, only one of us will make it. You've already lived such a long life, Kitty Kat!" She exclaims with panic in her voice as Katherine sends her a look and unbuckles her seat belt, opening her door and stepping out of the car. "Don't go out there!" Elena shouts her warning.

Elena watches through through the windshield as Katherine pops the hood.

Elena rolls down the window. "I don't know what you're doing, but you look super hot while doing it." She says, climbing halfway out of the window.

"There's nothing wrong." Katherine says with suspicion, quickly looking behind her hearing a noise. "Get back in the-" She cuts herself off with a groan, dropping to her knees and gripping her head tightly.

"Kat!" Elena exclaims with worry, climbing out of the window and running toward her vampire doppelgänger before being thrown to the ground by an invisible force.

"Sorry." She hears a familiar voice say without remorse, looking up seeing the male witch from the shop. "It's not personal. You really shouldn’t have messed with things." He says, shaking his head slightly as she looks up to him with fear in her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking abo-" He interrupts her with a condescending head tilt.

"Witches talk, doppelgänger. Especially dead witches. You think we haven't heard of you?" He asks as she looks to Katherine, finding her nearly passed out on the ground. "There are consequences to our actions. But, before I kill you, I'm curious, what is your strange aura around you? Why do you feel like a ghost?" He asks as she lets tears drip down her face.

"Please." She says, letting him walk closer towards her. "I'll stop changing things, just please don't kill me." She pleads with desperation as he leans down.

"I'm sorry." He says, blinking in surprise when she meets his eye with a wide grin.

"Kat, now!" She shouts, reaching into her boot and pulling out her knife, and lodging it in his side, making him lose control of his magic. He grabs his side and groans as Katherine quickly speeds to him, ripping out his heart from behind, pushing his body down and dropping in front of Elena.

"Are you okay?" She asks, checking Elena over for injuries with worried eyes.

"I'm fine. I promise." She says holding up her hands, wincing at the scrapes across her hands.

"Come on." Katherine says, helping her stand and walking her back to the car and popping the trunk before walking back to the body and throwing it over her shoulder, placing it in the truck.

After getting in the car and buckling her seat belt, Elena leans her head against her window with a sigh. "Shit." She breathes in defeat.  
___

"I warned you what I would do if anything happened to her." Klaus says with a threatening gleam in his eye as Katherine takes a fearful step back.

"Stop." Elena says with exasperation, stepping in front of Klaus. "I'm okay, she protected me. What happened with the wolves? You leave Mason alone?" She tries to distract him as he continues to glare at Katherine.

"Yes, though his pack wasn't too happy with him." He answers, making her chuckle. "And they really weren't happy to learn of their fallen pack member's sacrifice." He adds with amusement.

"I should go." Katherine says after observing the two with confusion. "I'll see you around, Ellie." She hugs her, releasing her with a smile.

"I'll miss you." Elena pouts childishly, making the vampire roll her eyes. "Bye, Kat." She says with a fond smile before Katherine walks out of the room.

"Huh, she's not as unbearable as I remember." Klaus comments with a smirk as Elena laughs.

"Well, she wouldn’t say the same." Elena responds, walking past him to the bar and grabbing a bottle, immediately removing the cap and drinking from the bottle, making the hybrid raise a brow. "So, how long do you think I've got left? We should start a dead pool. My money's on 2 years." She says dropping down on the couch and leaning her head back.

"What exactly did the witch say to you?" Klaus questions, making his way to her and removing the bottle from her hand, causing her to whine and reach for it.

"Our actions have consequences." She mocks the dead witch's voice. "Apparently, dead witches talk." She adds miserably as he stares off into space for a moment before turning to her.

"Well, when you're done throwing yourself this pity party, I have a surprise." He tries to cheer her as she looks to him with concealed excitement.

"A surprise?" She asks, making him nod. "What kind of surprise?" She asks as he shrugs with an innocent expression and leans back.

"I just thought maybe you'd like to give your friend her congratulatory flowers in person." He says casually as she jumps and stares at him with an open mouth.

"What are you saying?" She asks with a smile, already knowing the answer.

"I have enough hybrids and my house is finally finished, also Elijah won't stop hounding me about when I plan to awaken our siblings." He rolls his eyes as she laughs. "And since you can't seem to stay out of trouble," He teases. "I think it's time we go home." He says, smiling when she jumps up and down and wraps him in a tight hug.

"Thank you." She mutters into his neck with a smile.


	43. Homecoming

"This is a terrible idea, Ellie." Damon hisses from below Elena as she uses his head to hoist herself up a tree.

"Shh. And no, it's awesome." She says, balancing on a tree branch as Enzo watches her with amusement, Damon with annoyance, and Stefan with his usual concern for her general well being.

"I don't understand why we don't just go in through the front door? We can hear if they're in the room." Damon says as Elena looks down at him with disappointment.

"Your Stefan is showing." She says with a head shake before turning to Enzo and holding up her hand. "Gimme." She says, making him toss her a piece of black fabric. Elena pulls the fabric over her head and looks down to them with a smile visible through the ski mask and a thumbs up.

"Sneaking into his room through a second story window isn't frightening enough? You want him to think he's being kidnapped?" Stefan asks, making her roll her eyes and push open the window.

"You guys don't know him like me, he's gonna love this." She assures, climbing through the window, the three vampires following.

Elena enters her brother's room through the window hoping to find him sleeping in his bed, disappointed and shocked that he's already awake at noon on a Saturday, she decides to check on her room and enters through their conjoined bathroom, stopping in her tracks with a look of disbelief that quickly turns to into a large smile as she pulls out her phone and beings taking pictures of Jeremy asleep in her bed and holding the stuffed panda bear he got her years ago.

"Aww." She says out loud, causing Jeremy to open his eyes and immediately yell.

"Aaah!" He exclaims, scooting off the bed and falling on the ground as she grabs her stomach in laughter. "Ellie?" He asks with disbelief as she pulls off the mask, still laughing.

"Sup." She says with a nod as he looks between Elena, her phone, the bed before his expression morphs into horror.

"No." He says walking towards her with his hand out as she shakes her head. "Give me the phone, Elena." He says in a serious tone, making her slowly bring the phone to his hand before smiling mischievously and pulling it away, quickly turning around and running out of the room as Jeremy runs after her. "Dammit. Delete it, Ellie!" He yells as she giggles.

"Not a chance." She says as he chases her down the stairs. "Hey, Jen." Elena says as she jumps over the couch, past Jenna as she reads a book.

"Ellie?" She asks with shock before Jeremy tackles Elena to the ground. "Jeremy!" She scolds as he holds Elena's arms down.

"Give me the phone." He says, struggling to reach the phone.

"Catch." Elena calls to Jenna as she slides the phone to her aunt, who picks it up and puts her hands on her hips.

"Stop! The both of you." Jenna demands, making the siblings stop their struggle and look to her. "What the hell is happening?" She asks with wide eyes.

"Rem was cuddling Mx. Bamboo." Elena tries to says as Jeremy puts a hand over her mouth 

"Ellie broke in with a ski mask and tried to kill me." Jeremy says, making Jenna and Elena roll their eyes.

"Get off your sister." Jenna says, making Jeremy stand and stick his hand out for Elena, as he helps her up, Jenna and Jeremy stare at her with question as she raises her hand in a small wave. 

"Hey, guys." She says with a smile as her aunt and brother look to each other before tackling her into a group hug, making Elena laugh.

"What are you doing here?" Jenna whispers, pulling away from the hug with soft eyes.

"I wanted to surprise you!" She shrugs as Jeremy laughs into her shoulder.

"Mission accomplished." He says, pulling away with a smile. "You're back." He states softly, making her nod.

"Yep. So, how ya been?" She asks the two casually, as she walks towards the front door and opens it, revealing three amused vampires. "You may enter." She says to Enzo, he follows the brothers inside.

"I'm sorry, Jenna. We tried to stop her." Stefan says immediately with his hands surrendered, making Elena roll her eyes as she walks past him.

"Kiss ass." She whispers teasingly, pulling Enzo towards her family members. "Jen, Rem, this is Enzo. Enzo, this is my amazing Aunt Jenna and my wonderful little brother Jeremy." She introduces them as Enzo takes Jenna's hand and kisses the back with a charming grin.

"It's a pleasure, love." He says as she smiles.

"You're Lorenzo st. John, right?" She asks as he nods and drops her hand. "Ellie told us about you, I'm really sorry about the whole Augustine thing." She apologizes before smiling. "I'm glad they got you out." She says as Jeremy shakes his hand.

"Yeah, me too." Jeremy adds with a smile before he turns to Elena with a grimace. "Hey, you know that uncle John's here right?" He asks as Elena smirks.

"Why do you think they're here? I thought an introduction was in order." She explains gesturing to vampires as Jenna sends her a disapprovingly look.

"I hope you know what you're doing." She says, making Elena nod as Jenna sighs. "He's out back." She admits.

"Thanks, Jen. Love you." Elena says, kissing her aunt on the cheek as she runs out of the room.

Elena makes her way to the backyard, stopping in front of a large shed. As she hears grunting coming from the inside she slides open the door, making John look to her in surprise before turning back to the dummy, punching the chest and releasing a stake from the contraption strapped to his arm.

"You listened." He states, making her roll her eyes as she walks closer to him.

"Technically, Klaus listened." She says, removing the stake from the dummy and setting it down on the table next to them.

"Klaus Mikaelson." He shakes his head with irritation.

"Don't start-" He interrupts her.

"You should have told me." He says loudly as she sighs. "I knew you kept things to yourself, but this? Letting him kill you without telling me?" He continues with anger as she looks down. "Leaving? What if he had killed you? What would Jeremy have done? Jenna? Me?" He exclaims.

"I'm sorry. Okay? But, you would have tried to stop me." She explains as he runs a hand over his face.

"Of course I would have. I'm your-" he cuts himself with a sigh as she sends him a sad smile.

"Come inside. I've got a surprise." She says, leading him out of the shed before stopping and turning to him with a grin. "You're gonna hate it." He shakes his head with a small smile, following her inside the house.

"Salvatores?" John asks Ellie as she raises her brows in surprise. "Isobel mentioned them." He admits, making her roll her eyes.

"Guys this is my uncle/bio dad John, John this is Damon, Stefan, and Enzo." She says pointing to each of them as John glares at each of them, Elena clicks her tongue and wrings her hands awkwardly before continuing, "Um, so you guys are vampires and he's a vampire hunter, discuss." She says, making them all send her a look. "Oh, and just so we’re clear." She turns to John. "If you hurt any of them, I will turn you into a vampire." She says with a smile as John looks to her with eyes. "Now." She claps. "I've got a pageant to get to."  
____

"Damn." Elena whistles, leaning against the doorway of Caroline's dressing room. "Already look this good without your makeup." Elena shakes her head as Caroline makes eye contact through her mirror before quickly standing and turning around.

"Ellie? What are you- oh my god!" She exclaims with an excited smile, running towards Elena, pulling her into a tight hug as she bounces up and down. "How are you here?" She asks, pulling away slightly before hugging her again.

"You think I'd miss you being crowned Miss Mystic Falls?" Elena asks with mock offense as Caroline rolls her eyes.

"We don't know if I'm gonna win." Caroline says, Elena raises a brow in challenge and Caroline sighs with a smile. "Okay, I'm gonna win." She says reluctantly, making Elena laugh.

"There we go! Confidence is key, my dear." She says, following Caroline back to the vanity. Elena begins doing Caroline's hair as Caroline looks at her through the mirror with a smile.

"I can't believe you're here. We really missed you." She says with emotion in her voice, making Elena smile back at her.

"I missed you too." She leans down, kissing Caroline's cheek. "So what are we gonna do to celebrate? I'm thinking dinner at the grill. What do you think?" Elena asks, tapping Caroline's shoulder, noticing her faraway expression.

"What if I don't win, Ellie? Caroline asks with insecurity as Elena scoffs.

"Are you kidding? I will Tonya Harding, all these bitches if I have to." Elena says, making Caroline giggle. "But, that's not necessary and you know it. You're Caroline Forbes. This title is your birthright!" She declares dramatically. "So let me hear you say it." Elena gestures for Caroline to speak.

"I'm gonna win." She says with a nod and a laugh.

"Damn right you are!" Elena exclaims with excitement.

"Hey, look what Bonnie and I stole. Okay, I stole." Vicki corrects herself as she and Bonnie enter the room, immediately taking notice of Elena. "Holy shit! El, when- what?" She rushes out as Bonnie squeals, running towards Elena, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Surprise!" Elena cheers with a grin that's returned by all three girls.

"Are you back? Like for good?" Bonnie asks with a hopeful expression, Elena nods with a smile, making the group cheer and hug her again.

"Okay, okay. As much as I adore your attention," Elena starts, causing the group to roll their eyes. "Our precious Care Bear needs to get ready. And I need to drink some of this." She adds, taking the bottle of champagne from Vicki's hand with a smirk.  
____

"Miss Caroline Forbes and her escort, Tyler Lockwood." Mayor announces Caroline and his son with a smile that makes Elena roll her eyes before she claps and cheers loudly for her friends.

As the pair makes their way towards the dance floor, Tyler's eyes widen at the sight of his best friend, making Caroline giggle quickly as Elena sends him a quick wink.

"Care looks amazing." Vicki says proudly as she hands Elena a glass of champagne.

"She always does." Bonnie agrees with a smile as they watch the blonde glide across the dance floor.

"Where's Matty?" Elena asks, looking around as Vicki shakes her head.

"He's working." She says, making Elena's eyes snap to her.

"When did he get a job? Why did he get a job?" She asks as Vicki sighs and Bonnie sends the older girl an encouraging smile.

"Mom came home while you were away. She needed the money." Vicki answers bitterly as Elena clenches her fists. 

"Seriously? Is she still here?" Elena asks, Vicki shakes her head as she watches Caroline.

"Nope, bailed as soon as she got it. Whatever, we're better off." She says with a fake smile, Elena grabs her hand and sends her a smile.

"You are. I'm sorry I wasn't here." She apologizes sincerely as Vicki smiles slightly.  
____

"That was incredible!" Elena exclaims with an excited cheer as the group of friends enter the Mystic Grill. "Did you see her face when she lost? The utter devastation, disguised by a humble smile." She continues with a faraway smile as the group sends her a look. "I mean, Caroline winning was the best part, obviously. Sarah losing was just a bonus." She adds sheepishly as they smile at her. "Order me a burger, I'm gonna go find Matty." Elena says as they are seated.

Elena makes her way through the crowded restaurant, searching for the blonde quarterback. She stops suddenly as she sees him before running over and tapping him on the shoulder. "Excuse me sir." She says in an accent as he turns around.

"Ye- Lena?" He asks with shock as she smiles widely and laughs.

"Hey, how's it going?" She asks before grunting when he pulls her into a tight hug.

"When did you get back?" He asks as he pulls away with a smile.

"A few hours ago, I wanted it to be a surprise. Everyone's over there." She points to the table of their friends. "Come join us? Stefan and Damon are at home, so they can't compel your boss but I'm really good at threatening people." She says, he laughs and shakes his head.

"That's okay, I'm almost off. I'll be there in a minute." He says as she nods.

"So Klaus was all 'and yet here I stand, a vampire who can walk in the sun, a wolf who can change at will'." She imitates Klaus's accent, making the group laugh.

"Did the wolves go for it?" Vicki asks, sipping her drink as Elena shakes her hand.

"More or less, Klaus challenged the alpha and became leader of the pack. They didn't really have much of a choice after that. They came back with us, they're actually pretty cool people." Elena says as the waiter sets their food down. 

"Speaking of hybrids, grams is not happy." Bonnie informs the doppelgänger, making Elena whine slightly, putting her head on the table.

"I didn't think she would be." She says before raising her head. "But, you know what they say, better to ask for forgiveness than permission." Elena tries to make herself feel better. "So, tell me what else I missed. How have you all been?" She asks, looking at them.

"Everything's been kinda the same." Caroline says with a thoughtful expression as the others nod along.

"Well, that's lame." Elena pouts. "What about at school? Any scandalous rumors? Teacher-student affairs? Teen pregnancies? Dropouts? Anything?" She asks with a hopeful expression as the group shrugs.

"Not really. Unless you count-" Tyler cuts himself off as the group sends him identical glares.

"What?' Elena asks with wide eyes as Tyler sighs.

"There was a rumor that you dropped out and that you're a… pregnant runaway." He explains slowly as the group stares at Elena, gauging her reaction.

"Oh, my god… that is awesome." She responds with a laugh. "Oh, I bet the founding families are so disappointed." She says with a wide smile as the others join her in a laugh.

"My dad thinks it's because you no longer have a strong male figure in your life." Tyler rolls his eyes as they laugh.

"Neither do you." Elena replies, making him snort. "I should start wearing a fake baby bump." Elena says with excitement as the others shake their heads.

"No, you shouldn't. But you should re enrol in school." Bonnie says. "It's not as fun without you." The group nods as Elena shrugs.

"I might have to. With Klaus waking his siblings, Rebekah might want to give highschool a try. Kol too." Elena says with a thoughtful expression.

"Really? Should we be worried? Isn't he called the wildest Mikaelson?" Caroline asks with wide eyes as Elena laughs.

"Oh, yeah. Dude’s crazy! But I'm sure Klaus will have something to keep him in line." Elena responds before smiling. "You guys are gonna love Rebekah. She's totally badass and super sweet." Elena says as Caroline bounces in her seat.

"Really? Do you think she'd want to be a cheerleader?" She asks with a hopeful tone as Elena nods.

"Definitely! And she'd be great." Elena says as Tyler looks to her.

"What about this Kol guy? We could use another vampire on the team." He hits Matt's shoulder lightly as he nods his head.

"Maybe. If he doesn't try to kill the whole team." Elena wonders out loud as Tyler swallows thickly. "But I'm sure he won't." Elena offers, noticing the group's reaction.  
____

After changing into her pajamas and texting the Salvatores goodnight, Elena gets into her bed and turns off the light before she hears a knock on her door, making her turn her head, seeing her brother walk into the room.

Jeremy wordlessly climbs into her bed, making himself comfortable next to her as she raises an amused brow, he shrugs as she laughs and scoots over.

"How long have you been sleeping in here?" She asks as she turns on her side.

"Since you left, at first it was cause I missed you. But now it's more of a habit." He defends himself. "It was really inconvenient, by the way. The sun shines straight through the window in the morning." He complains, making her chuckle and nod. 

"How have you been?" She asks quietly, he sighs and turns on his side as well.

"Fine. It was weird not having you here. I mean, I know I called all the time, but you've always been here. It was hard getting used to you being gone. Also, Jenna is bad at making me do things. She doesn't know how to threaten." He jokes, making them laugh together.

"But other than that, everything was fine?" She asks as he nods. "You're not on drugs and don't have a secret older boyfriend or girlfriend?" She continues, making him snort and looks to her like she’s crazy.

"No. Why would you ask that?" He asks, making her shrug.

"No reason. I was just worried about you." She admits as he smiles.

"I missed you. I'm really glad you're home." He whispers with emotion as she smiles and leans her head on his shoulder.

"Me too." She whispers back with a smile.  
___

"Yo, I got your message, they awake yet?" Elena calls out to Klaus as she enters his newly built mansion.

"Not yet, Elijah is taking care of that now." He says, meeting her at the entrance and taking her bag. 

"Cool. So, am I here for emotional support or…" She trails off with uncertainty as he shakes his head.

"No, I wanted to show you something." He says with a slightly nervous tone as he rubs the back of his neck. "This way." He takes her hand and guides her through the house.

"Ooh, your bedroom? We don't have a lot of time before your siblings wake. Quicky it is." She says, taking off her jacket as Klaus shakes his head with a laugh.

"No, that's not- come here." He pulls her to a dresser and looks to her for a reaction as she stares blankly at the piece of furniture.

"Wow. A+ craftsmanship." She panders with a nod as he rolls his eyes.

"It's yours." He states simply, making her eyes widen before she throws her head back with a groan.

"Oh god, you're in love with me. I knew this would happen, I care about you-" Klaus interrupts with an eyeroll.

"I'm not in love with you. Stop accusing me of that." He orders as she holds her hands up in surrender.

"You sure? Because this feels like a very 'in love' thing to do." She replies skeptically.

"Yes, I'm sure. I just like having you around." He admits, grinning as she smirks smugly.

"Of course you do, I'm amazing-" Elijah interrupts with a knock on the open door, making the two turn to him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," He sends them a look that makes Elena mouth 'jar' to him. "I believe our siblings should awaken soon." He informs as they nod and follow him out of the room.

Elena and Klaus sit on one of the many very expensive and uncomfortable couches, waiting for the Mikaelson siblings to rejoin the land of the loving as Elena looks over to Klaus.

"You nervous?" Elena asks, noticing the way he keeps clenching his jaw as his leg bounces slightly, he shakes his head.

"Of course not." He denies with a scoff as she raises a brow. 

"It's okay to be a little worried. I mean, this is the first time you will be seeing any of them in 90 years." She says as he sends her a look. "All I'm saying is that it's fine if you're nervous." She puts her hand on his arm before he stands and begins pacing slightly.

"There's no reason to be nervous, Ellie. Mikael is dead and I'm finally waking them, if anything they should be thankful." He says as she sends him a pointed look. "And so what if they aren't? They can leave for all I care." He shrugs as she stands, grabbing his hands and stopping his movement.

"They won't leave you." She assures as he looks away from her. "And if they do, you've still got me." She smiles as he looks to her and opens his mouth to say something before she shakes her head. "I just- I want you to know that whether or not you have your family or your hybrids… you'll never be alone." She promises, making him smile at her.

"What the bloody hell is this?" The familiar voice of Rebekah Mikaelson exclaims with disbelief, gesturing between Elena and Klaus's joined hands, Klaus looks towards her and stiffens, seeing the rest of his siblings standing behind her.


	44. Mikaelsons

Rebekah waits for an answer, staring at the pair with confused anger as Elena smiles and leans into Klaus.

"I know you must think this is crazy. But after Klaus finally caught up with me, while he was torturing me, I was reminded why I cared for him all those years ago. We made up and Elijah gave us his blessing. I hope you can do the same." Elena pretends to be Katherine as Klaus tries to keep a straight face next to her and Elijah closes his eyes with a small sigh.

"You've got to be kidding." Rebekah scoffs with disbelief as Elena steps forward slightly.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but I've missed having a sister, you know, after Klaus killed mine. And that's what I hope we can become." Elena says with false sincerity as a dark glare overtakes Rebekah's features and she moves forward to attack, making Elena squeal and hide behind Klaus. "Oh, my god. I'm totally kidding! I'm not Katherine! Not Katherine!" She yells as the newly awakened siblings stare in confusion. "Don't kill me! I'm not Kat!" 

"I believe you." Rebekah rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "Katherine would never do that." She eyes Elena with judgement as the doppelgänger stands up straight and runs her hands over the clothes.

"That's fair. Definitely not my proudest moment." Elena steps out from behind Klaus and reaches her hand out to Rebekah. "It's nice to finally meet you Rebekah, you're amazing. I'm Ellie, the newest doppelgänger." She greets as Rebekah takes her hand.

"Hmm." Rebekah looks her over with indifference. "The original was much prettier." Rebekah insults with a fake smile as Elena smirks.

"No, she wasn't." Elena replies smugly, making Rebekah grin before schooling her expression and taking her hand back from Elena.

"I see you've compelled the girl to think she cares for you." Kol comments with a lazy grin, hiding the fury behind his eyes. "Perhaps had you done the same to Katerina, you could have broken your curse ages ago." He taunts, making Elena turn Klaus with mock betrayal.

"Is it true, my love? Have you used the voodoo that you do so well to make me love you?" She asks, making him grin as his siblings look on, still confused. 

"Ellie's not compelled." Klaus informs as his siblings look to them with identical skeptical expressions.

"You were supposed to play along." She pouts before turning to the siblings. "Hi, Ellie." She points to herself. "I was a totally willing participant in the sacrifice. And you are Kol Mikaelson." She says with an excited smile, bouncing on her toes as Kol makes a face and turns to Klaus.

"Was?" He asks, Klaus smirks and lets his hybrid face show.

"Was." He answers, hiding a flinch when Rebekah takes a small fearful step backwards.

"Breaking your curse couldn’t have been the reason you’ve awakened us, mind sharing what it is you need from us?" Kol asks with a fake grin, watching Ellie out of the corner of his eye, confused as to why she seems so excited to be in their presence.

"Maybe I just missed my family." Klaus responds with an equally threatening grin as Finn scoffs from behind Kol.

"You've obviously woke us for a reason, get on with it." He says with a bored tone as Elena sends him a pitying look, Klaus clenches his jaw, causing Elijah to clear his throat and steps forward.

"Mikael's dead. Our brother killed him and has allowed me to remove your daggers." Elijah explains, surprising the siblings before Kol chuckles humorless.

"Well, that's just fantastic. I should be on my way, I sincerely hope I never see any of you again." Kol nods and tries to walk away only for Elena to step forward and stop him with a hand on his arm. He raises his brow and sends her a threatening look, causing her to remove her hand.

"Hi, again, I'm Ellie. And you're Kol, I'm a big fan of your work. I love the way you mercilessly slaughter all those who oppose you, it's dope." She rambles as he continues to stare with contempt. "Oh no, I know that look." Elena says stepping back. "That’s the 'I'm gonna kill Ellie to get back at Klaus' look." She says with realization as a fake smile spreads across Kol's lips.

"Very good, Darling." He says encouragingly. "Would you look at that, Nik. Your pet's not as dumb as her face would suggest." He mocks as she rolls her eyes.

"Ouch, my feelings." She deadpans, causing him to take a threatening step forward. Klaus pulls Elena slightly behind him and sends her a pointed look.

"Don't antagonize him." He scolds, making her pout slightly. "And, Ellie's not to be harmed." He says to Kol with a serious expression before turning to his other siblings. "That goes for the two of you as well." He says, causing Rebekah to scoff.

"You've really fallen for her face again, haven't you? God, you're pathetic." She says with disgust as Elena mutters 'rude' under her breath.

"You should probably tell them why killing me would be a very bad idea." Elena says, walking towards the bar.

"Ellie's blood is needed to create my hybrids. I'm sure you all know exactly what would happen if I no longer have access." Klaus says with a threatening expression, not needing to specify their punishment to scare them all into submission.

"Of course." Rebekah laughs bitterly. "I mean, you are incapable of caring for anyone unless they serve a purpose." She says to Klaus with a hateful tone. "Word of advice Ellie, don't let yourself care too much for my brother. He will destroy you. He'll use you, make you dependent on him, and if the time comes when you wise up and try to escape him, he will ruin everything good in your life." Rebekah says with heavy emotion as Klaus watches her with a blank stare.

"Careful, Bekah. A few more insults and he may dagger you." Kol warns with a smile, walking towards Elena. "Perhaps even 'lijah will help him." He adds, making the aforementioned sigh and look to the ceiling.

"Enough." Elijah orders his youngest siblings. "Our brother is trying to right his wrongs and I believe we should hear him out. It was our vow." He says, making Kol scoff and look to him.

"Our vow?" He mocks, taking one of the drinks Elena poured and downing it. "The only thing that damned vow has ever gotten me, is daggered again and again." He raises his voice and turns to Rebekah. "And betrayed, by those I loved most." He says with venom as her lower lips trembles and her eyes fill with tears. "Always and forever is a sham, and we all know it." He finishes, walking away from the group with Finn following.

"Well, that sucked." Elena says, walking towards Klaus and handing him a glass. "But, still somehow better than what I expected." She tries to cheer him up as he looks down at her with a small smile, Rebekah watches them, shocked at her brother's tenderness towards the doppelgänger.

"I'd like to get out of this dress, where is my bedroom?" Rebekah asks with impatience making Elena walk towards her and reach into her pocket.

"Hey, I know everything is probably a lot right now, but I thought I could take you to get a modern makeover." Elena says sheepishly, before holding up Rebekah's necklace. "Here, this belongs to you." She drops it into Rebekah's open palm.

"I tried to find this when I woke, where did you get it?" Rebekah asks in a quiet tone, staring at the necklace.

"That is a long story, one that I will tell you later. But for now, why don't you go take a shower and get changed, then we can go?" Elena offers as Rebekah nods and leaves the room. Elena skips back over to Klaus with a smug smirk. "She loves me already." She sings as Klaus rolls his eyes. "Will you be a bridesmaid at our wedding? Mrs. & Mrs. Gilbert-Mikaelson has a nice ring to it." She continues with a dazed smile, Klaus smiles before kissing her.

"Thank you." He says after pulling away. "For being here.. That probably would have gone a lot differently without you. Most likely more violent." He adds, making her laugh and nod.

"Of course, what are bone bros for?" She teases as Elijah clears his throat, reminding the two he's still in the room. 

"I have to agree with my brother. That went better than I expected and I believe it was because of you." Elijah says with a kind smile before leaving the room.

"I need some money to take Bekah out. Plus more for me, cause you know, you've really been slacking on your sugar daddy duties." Elena says, making Klaus furrows his brows. "You have yet to buy me a luxury bag or Louboutins."

"You hate heels and said carrying around an expensive bag was 'too much responsibility'." He rolls his as she shrugs.

"Fine, then some docs and a new leather jacket, I’ve been hanging around you so much, I think this one has fleas." She grins as he huffs and sends her a look.

"Why are you asking? Didn't you steal my card?" He asks, she nods.

"Yes, but I've noticed that people tend to get a bit pissy when you use their stolen cards." She rolls her eyes as he shakes his head.

"The audacity." He deadpans as she nods enthusiastically.

"Right." She agrees, making him chuckle lightly.

___

"So you saw the future and the past?" Rebekah asks with confusion from her spot in front of the salon mirror as Elena spins in the chair next to her.

"Yep, that’s how I know how hot you look with a sword." She responds with a flirty wink, making the original roll her eyes.

"Will you stop flirting with me?" Rebekah asks with a huff, Elena stops spinning her chair and looks to her with a serious expression.

"Beks, from the bottom of my heart, never." Elena swears as Rebekah's lips twitch, making her turn away from the doppelgänger.

"Well it's too bad for you, I'm not interested in anyone who's with Nik. I'm not Elijah." She mutters under her breath, making Elena snort.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss me, beautiful. I could be the love of your life. Are you really gonna let the fact that your brother sticks it in me, get in the way of that?" Rebekah's jaw drops as she looks to Elena with wide eyes, making the brunette cackle and continue spinning in her chair. 

"Are all women so vulgar nowadays?" Rebekah asks as Elena shrugs and stands, walking towards Rebekah.

"More or less. But, I like to think I'm one of a kind." She winks at Rebekah through the mirror as she picks up a spray bottle, coughing when she accidentally sprays it. She turns back to Rebekah and begins playing with a piece of her hair. "Besides, you have no idea how vulgar I can be." Elena whispers suggestively, Rebekah looks away and sighs.

"Where is Stefan?" Rebekah changes the subject. "You said he found my necklace after Nik compelled him. How did you get it from him?" She asks as Elena jumps up on the counter in front of her and swings her legs.

"He came to town a few months ago, saw me, was completely dazzled by striking good looks, then stayed to get to know me. Think it's safe to say he liked what he learned, because he quickly became one of my best friends. Him and his brother live in town. But fair warning, he's not the same guy he was in the 20's." Elena says sympathetically as Rebekah's brows furrow.

"Just another thing I can thank my bastard of a brother for." She says with anger. "He's managed to ruin every single one of my relationships and one of the few times he doesn’t kill them, he daggers me for 90 years and makes him forget me." She scoffs, Elena taps her shoe with her own and sends her an apologetic smile.

"There's no excuse I could ever make for Klaus's behavior? But for what it's worth, I think he just didn't want to lose you. And having spent a good few hours with you, I can wholeheartedly understand why." Elena smiles as she manages to get a laugh out of Rebekah.

"Flattering won't work on me." The original responds with a playful smile as Elena hops off the counter.

"We'll see. But consider this, maybe none of your relationships have ever worked because the fates were saving you for the best." Elena says with a cocky smirk, gesturing to herself as she wiggles her eyebrows, making Rebekah shake her head with a smile.  
___

"Women are allowed to dress like prostitutes now?" Rebekah with disbelief as she steps out of the dressing room.

"1. Sex work is work." Elena glares playfully. "2. You look hot in everything. Just wear what you're comfortable with." She says checking herself out in the mirror.

"This leaves nothing to the imagination." Rebekah critiques the dress she's wearing as Elena rolls her eyes.

"Why leave it to the imagination, when the real thing is better than anything, anyone could ever imagine?" Elena asks as the original tilts her head with a shrug and goes back inside the dressing room. "So, are you gonna come to school or not?" Elena asks.

"I'm not sure." Rebekah says with uncertainty before peaking her head out of the dressing room. "Is Nik serious about staying here? Did he really build that house for us to live together?" She asks as Elena nods.

"Yeah, you didn’t hear it from me, but I think he's happy you guys are finally all together. He missed you, Bekah." Elena says as Rebekah smiles.

"Of course he did. I'm his favorite." She says smugly, making Elena laugh and send her a look.

"Oh Rebekah, I adore you." She says with a smile that the original immediately reciprocates. "And so will my friends, which is why you should come to school with us. I think you'd love it. You could be a cheerleader or join a sports team or something." Elena says in a pleading tone.

"I'll think about it, tell me about your friends. Do they know about everything?" Rebekah asks as Elena nods.

"Yes, I sat them down last year and came clean. I told them about the supernatural. Then I had to tell them about your brother and the sacrifice. That was super fun." She comments sarcastically. 

"I still can't believe you sought Nik out. Why didn't you just run? Why would you willingly tie your life to my brother? Especially if you're aware of how paranoid and controlling he is." Rebekah rants with disbelief as Elena laughs.

"He's not that bad." Rebekah sends her a pointed look. "To me." She adds with a thoughtful expression. 

"Don't you want a normal life? To be married or have children without my brother hanging over you?" Rebekah asks with a faraway expression. "Controlling everything you do?"

"Not really. I mean, maybe if Klaus was the only one who wanted me. But, other people are after doppelgängers and I feel a lot safer with your brother in my corner." Elena says as Rebekah sighs.

"Well at least you know what you got yourself into." Rebekah says.  
___

"Did you manage to leave anything in the shops?" Klaus asks as his hybrid carries Rebekah and Elena's bags inside the house as they follow.

"You're the one who gave me a dresser, I needed to fill it." Elena kisses his cheek as she walks towards the bar, making Rebekah make a face.

"And you owe you. For shoving me in a box and making Stefan forget me." Rebekah pouts as Klaus rolls his eyes.

"What part of our father would have killed you, do you not understand? I did what I had to." He groans as Rebekah stares at him blankly.

"Of course, I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that you're obsessed with controlling everything I do." She says sarcastically.

"Believe what you want, dear sister. But at least you're alive. I'm not asking for your gratitude. But a small amount of understanding wouldn't kill you." He says through gritted teeth taking the drink Elena hands him as Rebekah scoffs and laughs humorlessly. 

"You're right, Nik. Thank you so much for stealing centuries of my life and locking me away in a box. Thank you for being so terrified of being abandoned that you took away any shred of happiness from my life for a thousand years." She yells, storming out of the room as Klaus stares at the glass in his hand with an unreadable expression.

"Again, that could have gone worse." Elena says as she takes a seat next to him. "Any luck with your brothers?" She asks as Klaus huffs.

"Finn hasn't said a word and Kol threw another temper tantrum before locking himself away in his room." He says as Elijah enters the room. "At this point we should probably be thankful he hasn't tried to go on a killing spree." 

"Though, it's only a matter of time." Elijah comments with a defeated sigh, making Elena laugh and smile at him. 

"Alright, wish me luck." She says with a nod as she stands, Klaus grabs her hand and raises his brows. "I'm kinda the only person here who's never betrayed him. I mean, I know he's not exactly a fan of my face, but not even he's petty enough to ignore me for it. Let me try to get through to him." She says, making Klaus sigh.

"Fine, but scream if he tries to kill you." He half jokes as she nods.

"Aye aye, captain." She says before walking out of the room and through the house, in search of Kol's room.

"Oh, it's you." Kol says with a fake smile as soon as he opens the door after she knocks.

"Yeah, don't cream your jeans." She jokes as he raises a brow with confusion.

"What?" He asks as she shakes her head.

"Nothing, can I come in?" She asks as he opens his door wider, letting her through.

"Sure, I'm feeling a bit peckish." He says with a grin as she rolls her eyes.

"So funny." She states dryly as she takes a seat on the edge of his bed. 

"Who said I was joking?" He asks, stalking towards her with a threatening gleam in his eye, stopping when she only rolls her eyes.

"I'm not scared of you. So please, just shut up and sit down. We need to talk." He stares at her incredulously, making her smile widely at him and pat the spot next to her.

"I may not be able to kill you, but that doesn’t mean you have nothing to lose." He threatens, making her snort.

"You know, Klaus said the same thing when we first met. Now look at us, he's practically in love with me. And in time, I'm certain you and I will become friends too." She assures as he stares at her in confusion.

"Is there something wrong with you? Mentally? You don't even know me. And I doubt my brother shared anything about me, that would give you cause to change that. So, what is it exactly you want from me?" He asks with seriousness as she sighs.

"Nothing, dude. Honest. I was telling the truth when I said I was a fan of your work. No one slaughters entire covens quite like you." She compliments as he scoffs with disbelief. "So, come on. Stop sulking and let me show you how fun the 21st century is. Please." She bats her eyelashes as he narrows his eyes.

"How do you know about the covens?" He asks with suspicion, making her groan.

"I was born with knowledge of the past and a possible future." She recites with boredom. "That's how I know we will be friends. I have a roadmap to your heart, paved with your past and future interests." She winks as leans forward with interest.

"How much do you know?" He asks as she shrugs.

"A fair amount. I know you used to be a witch and that you've spent the last 1000 years looking for a way to get your powers back. I know Rebekah betrayed you when you told her about the gold dagger for Klaus. I know you killed an entire coven because they were trying to raise Silas, who is very much real, by the way. Sidenote, he's a huge douche." She says as Kol stares with an open mouth.

"What else?" He asks, grabbing her arm a little too tightly, releasing it when she sends him a look.

"I know you like music, video games, and aluminum baseball bats." She continues, noticing his confusion. "Right, video games are… shit, I don't know how to explain this to you." She says, making him smile slightly. "But, I can show you music, come on." She stands and grabs his hand, trying to pull him out of the room, but failing when he stubbornly stays rooted in place. "Seriously?" She asks with annoyance, causing him to smirk in amusement and let himself be pulled. "I got you an Ipod, well actually Klaus got it for you, but I put tons of music I thought you would like on it for you." She says as they walk through the house.

"Why would you do that?" He asks with confusion as she shrugs.

"I don't know, thought you'd like it. It's not a big deal." She laughs slightly, missing the look he sends her.

As they reach the living room, Elena lets go of his hand and makes her way over to her bag and pulls out the Ipod, tossing it to him as she walks back to him. He stares at it with confusion as she laughs again and shows him how to turn it on.

"I kept it pretty simple to start. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of amazing modern bands and collectives, but I thought it best to show you the unrefined classics first, Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Beatles, Nirvana, The Kinks, Queen, The Rolling Stones-" She cuts herself off with a laugh, noticing the look he sends her. "Right, well you can figure out what you like and then decide for yourself where inspiration ends and plagiarism begins." She says, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck as he chuckles lightly.

"You really like this." He points out with amusement as she nods. 

"Totally. I think music's the purest expression of art. Though, others may disagree." Elena sends a glance to Klaus as he looks away, pretending to not be eavesdropping.

"Ah yes, Nik's quiet the artist." Kol says, hiding his angry tone behind a grin. "Has he ever… painted you?" Kol asks with a not-so-subtle innuendo as Elena smiles slyly at him.

"Yes, multiple times. Though he's as free to paint others as I'm free to be painted." She responds as he watches her lips.

"Interesting." He comments with a grin she responds before she clears her throat, taking a small step back.

"So, wanna fuck with your siblings?" She whispers with an innocent expression, contradicted by the mischief in her eyes as he smiles widely back at her.

Across the room Klaus watches with narrowed eyes before turning to Elijah and motioning to Elena teaching Kol a secret handshake. "Nothing good can come of this." He says gravely as Elijah follows his line of sight.

"Agreed." Elijah responds in a serious tone with a nod.


	45. Partners in Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> Thanks for reading the story, if you'd like to read anything specific or have any suggestions, I'm all ears!

"Ugh!" Rebekah groans in frustration as she's woken up for the third night in a row, angrily she gets out of bed and stomps out of the room, bumping into Klaus in the hallway. "Control your pet, before I rip her throat out." She instantly threatens, making her brother roll his tired eyes.

"I don't control her, Rebekah." He states as she scoffs.

"Well, that's a bloody first!" She shouts with venom. "Shut them up." She demands before turning around and slamming her door.

Klaus huffs before continuing his path to the source of his restless night, coming across Elena jumping on the couch, strumming a plastic guitar as Kol sits in front of her, beating the plastic drums.

"Klaus!" Elena cheers when she spots him in the doorway, jumping off the couch and running towards him. "I found a way to combine music and video games! Aren't I fucking genius?" She asks with a wild look in her eyes.

"Ellie, it's 4 a.m., you haven't slept in two days." Klaus informs her with concern, making her laugh and turn towards Kol.

"Kol, it's 4 a.m!" She shouts with excitement, making him look to her with a thumbs up.

"Cool." He replies, turning back to the game.

"Wanna play with us?" Elena asks Klaus, who shakes his head with a sigh.

"No." He says with defeat before turning around and leaving the living room.

Ellie shrugs and runs back to Kol, pulling him from the game and pushing him down on the couch. Kol smirks with a raised brow when she lies on top of him.

"Very forward, darling." He comments, moving to kiss her as she rolls her eyes and puts her hand against his face.

"Sorry, babe. No time. We've gotta get through this list." She says, reaching to ground and retrieving her notepad, flipping it open.

"Fine." He says with a pout. "What's next?" He asks when she sends him a look.

"Feminism. We're gonna watch a bunch of feminist documentaries on Netflix to educate you." She states with a nod as he scoffs.

"Yeah? What's in it for me?" He asks as he brows furrow.

"Well, women won't sleep with you if you treat them like second-class citizens. Plus, a guy who cares about feminist issues is really fuckin' hot." Elena adds, making Kol's eyes widen as he sits up with her in his lap.

"What is a Netflix?" He asks with urgency.  
____

Elijah wanders into the living room in search of his siblings, other than Finn, he really is dull.

"Oh, I've seen this. It's very good." He comments, noticing the documentary playing on the TV as Elena sends Kol an 'I told you so' look.

"Of course you have, 'lijah." Kol says with a very slight slur, causing Elijah to raise a brow and take notice of the empty bottles scattered around the couch.

"You're drunk. It is 10 a.m." Elijah states as Elena smirks slyly.

"You're about the sexiest clock I've ever seen." She flirts, making his sigh. "Hmm, was that a judgmental sigh? Kol, what do you think?" She turns to Kol, who nods.

"Oh, definitely." He responds with a grin as Elijah rolls his eyes, reaching into his pocket.

"What are you gonna do with the money?" Kol asks Elena with curiosity as Elijah stuffs a bill in the cup.

"I'd like to buy a golden chalice to replace this truck stop paper cup. Then I wanna keep replacing it with rarer and rarer precious metals. And I expect you to continue the tradition after I'm long dead." She points to Kol as he nods.

"I'd be honored." He says with emotion as Elijah sighs and stands as he reaches into his pockets again. On his way out of the room, he stuffs a hundred in the cup as Elena watches him leave before turning to Kol.

"He is so into me." She tells him with a smile.  
___

Klaus walks into the room, rolling his eyes when he finds Elena and Kol clutching each other in obnoxious laughter, he clears his throat to get their attention.

"Oh, hey." Elena greets, trying to catch her breath as she wipes the tears from under her eyes. 

"What's so funny?" Klaus asks with a fake smile as he takes a seat across from the two.

"Remember how I can kinda summon dead people now?" Elena asks in a casual tone as Klaus nods. "Well, I taught Kol about prank calls and he had the amazing idea to mess with some of his former victims." Elena says through a laugh as Kol nods along and Klaus's brows furrow.

"What does that mean? What do you do?" He narrows his eyes at the two.

"Well, I kinda found the guy on the other side and I was all like 'I'm gonna grip you tight and raise you from perdition" Elena quotes in a gravelly tone. "And he was all like 'omg, you're the best' and then I was like "psych, bitch! Kol says hey' then-" Klaus interrupts.

"So you are pretending to save people, sorry dead people, from the otherside?" Klaus asks, trying to keep the judgment out of his voice as Kol and Elena look to each other with a nod.

"Yeah, pretty much." Elena confirms.

"He was a thief." Kol tries to defend their actions as Elena nods.

"Ellie, can I speak with you… in private." He adds when she only stares at him.

"Sure thing, boss." She stands, following Klaus only a few feet away. "You seem… off?" She tries to think of the right word as he scoffs out a laugh.

"I guess I just didn't sleep very well." He says, sending a glare to Kol as a look of realization spreads across Elena's face.

"Oh, I get it. You're jealous." She smirks as he scoffs.

"I'm not jealous." He rolls her eyes as she sends him a pitying look.

"It's perfectly natural to feel jealous of the new baby. But, mommy has enough love to share." She says with mock sympathy as Kol snorts and Klaus glares.

"I'm not jealous! You two have not shut up for over 48 hours. You were supposed to be catching him up on modern times and important history." He quotes her as her jaw drops with offense.

"I have been." She argues as he sends her a look.

"Is that what you call what you've been doing?" He asks with disbelief. "So far, you've played video games, gotten drunk, used my card to order movies, and told him in length about the feud between rappers Tupac and Notorious B.I.G." He lists off on his hand as she rolls her eyes.

"Okay, 1.) our card! And they were Informative documentaries. 2.) We only got drunk because documentaries are super boring." She whines as he rolls his eyes. "3.), important historical events, i.e.; Pac and Big's feud, which he retained because I'm an amazing teacher. Kol, who killed Tupac?" She asks as Kol's head snaps to them.

"The feds." Kol answers as Elena points to him in pride with a smug smile as Klaus runs a hand over his face in frustration. "On the subject of Kol and I being awesome, can we get a bounce house?" She asks with hopeful expression.

"No."

"Please, Kol's never seen one because you daggered him." She tries to guilt trip him.

"No."

"Pretty-" Klaus interrupts.

"No."

"I was really hoping you'd say yes." Elena trails off awkwardly as they hear a large sound coming from the backyard. "I love you." Elena cheers weakly as Klaus stares at her blankly. "Come on, Kol." She says quietly, pulling the original with her.  
___

"Everything looks good." The man who set up the bounce house says making Elena nod.

"Cool, thanks- Kol, no!" Elena scolds as Kol tries to bite the man.

"What?" Kol asks with confusion as the worker looks between them.

"You can't eat him, he has it hard enough." The man's eyes widen as Elena continues. "You probably make minimum wage, right?" She asks the man as he nods silently. "See. That sucks, bro. Hold on." Elena runs into the house as the man looks at Kol, causing the original to nod awkwardly.

"Here." Elena pushes a handful of judgment jar money into the man's hands as he stares at her in confusion. "Wanna bounce with us?" Elena asks, looking at the bounce house with a smile as the man nods.  
___

"Ugh! What is wrong with you two?" Rebekah yells from the kitchen, causing Ellie and Kol to laugh and high five as they walk into the kitchen. "Are you children? Actual children?" She asks as she wipes her chin of a red substance.

"What have they done now?" Elijah asks with an exasperated sigh as he enters the room.

"They messed with the blood bags." Rebekah tells him in an angry tone. "And they put flour in my blow dryer, and plastic wrap in the doorways, and whatever else I haven't found yet." She glares at them as Elijah turns to them with a disapprovingly look.

"What did you do to the blood bags?" He asks as Kol rolls his eyes.

"We mixed corn syrup and red food dye." Elena says with a proud smile as Elijah turns to Rebekah.

"It's harmless." He says as she continues glaring.

"I don't care, I'm sick of this! It's bad enough living with Kol, I can't handle two of them." Rebekah rants before storming out of the room.

"Maybe it's best you dismantle any undiscovered pranks." Elijah tries to reason with Elena as she pouts.

"Fine, but when we get back. Right now we have to go meet my drug dealer." She says as Elijah raises his brows. "I mean friend." She corrects with a smile as Elijah stares blankly.

"Come on, Kol. Quick, before he tries to give us his word." She pulls Kol out of the room, sending Elijah a teasing look as he rolls his eyes with a smile.  
___

"Wake up." Kol shakes Elena awake, causing her to open her eyes and look around frantically.

"What? What's wrong?" Elena asks as Kol stares at her in concern.

"What the hell was that?" He asks as Elena’s brows furrow in confusion.

"What?" She asks.

"Your dream! You woke me up by tossing and turning, so I went into your head, hoping it was a sex dream, preferably staring me. It wasn't, so I ask again, what the hell was that?" He asks with wide eyes.

"Zombie apocalypse." She answers with a shrugs as he stares in confusion.

"What?" He asks.

"Yeah I mean, I always dream of zombies. Sometimes they bite me, sometimes I escape, one time I bit a zombie." She lists as he continues to stare.

"... What?" He asks again.

"Right, I forgot you were in a box. Look, I don't have the time or patience to explain all zombie lore to you, it's too much. I'm pretty sure it dates back like 400 years. Ooh, I have an idea." She exclaims with excitement.  
___

"Not the dog." Kol whispers, turning his head so Elena doesn't see him wipe his eyes.

"I know." Elena sobs, the doorbell rings and Elena stops crying. "Ooh, pizza's here." She stands up and runs to the door.

"This is delicious." Kol says with a mouthful of pizza as Elena nods.

"I know right, I can totally see why someone would pay in sex." She comments as he sends her a look of confusion and amusement.

"What?" He asks with a laugh as she gasps and stands.

"Oh, my god. I've failed you." She says sadly.  
__

"She's so bendy." Kol says with astonishment as he and Elena stare at her phone with tilted heads.

"Right." She responds, impressed as Klaus walks into the room.

"There is no way they're comfortable." Kol shakes his head as Klaus looks at the phone over Elena's shoulder.

"My, god! Are you watching porn?" Klaus asks with disbelief as Kol and Elena nod.

"Obviously." She replies, not taking her eyes off the screen as Klaus huffs and storms away.

"I need your help." Klaus says into his phone with irritation, sending his brother and Elena a look.


	46. Intervention

"Klaus, I got your message!" Elena says with excitement as she skips through the house with an ice cream cone in one hand and Kol's hand in the other, Elena stops suddenly when coming across The Salvatore brothers, Jeremy, Caroline, Bonnie, and the remaining Mikaelsons. "What's this?" Elena asks, noticing the slight guilt on Klaus's face.

"This is an intervention." Damon says, sending a very unsubtle glare to the mischievous Mikaelson.

"Aw, dammit Klaus, that was dirty." Elena says to the hybrid with betrayal written across her face.

"What did he say to get you here?" Bonnie asks, looking between the two with suspicion.

"He said he would finally let me-" Klaus cuts Elena off quickly.

"That's enough. No need to subject your friends to such filth." He says dismissively as Elena leans into Kol.

"Who knew he was such a prude?" She whispers to Kol as he snickers.

"Perhaps that's why Tatia chose 'lijah." He whispers back, making her giggle.

"See. That right there." Klaus gestures between them. "This is why I called them. You're too close. You need some time away from each other." Klaus states as Elena and Kol stare with matching incredulous expressions.

"Over my smoldering ashes!" Kol replies at the same time as Elena yells,

"Suck my cock!"

"Wasn't a suggestion, little brother." Klaus ignores Elena as Elijah speeds behind Kol and forcibly drags him from Elena's grasp.

"Ellie!" Kol calls out dramatically, holding his hands out to Elena as his siblings (and Damon) roll their eyes.

"Kol!" She cries equally dramatic.

"Enough." Klaus says with a tinge of amusement, but mostly annoyance. "Caroline." He gestures for her to step forward.

"Et tu?" Elena asks with narrowed eyes.

"You've both become 46% more chaotic in each other's presence." Caroline also ignores Elena.

"You did the math? Nerd." Kol comments as Elena makes an excited expression.

"I taught him that!" She exclaims proudly as Stefan looks at her with confusion.

"You were a mathlete, El." He reminds as her eyes widen.

"Shh! Don't tell him that, I want him to think I'm cool." She whines as Stefan sighs.

"Ellie, Klaus said you haven't been sleeping. And that you've been going pretty hard for a few days. We're worried." Jeremy steps towards her with a sympathetic smile.

"Rem, I'm fine. I've just been having fun, Kol is awesome!" Elena says with a large smile as Kol grins at his siblings smugly.

"That's great. We're so glad you've made a new friend." Caroline says in tone that would sound pandering from anyone else. "But, maybe you should get some rest. Let someone else get to know him. Like… Damon." Caroline pulls Damon forward, ignoring his look of annoyance.

"No, thank you." Damon says with a fake smile as Elena looks between Kol and Damon with a contemplative silence.

"Okay, yes. You guys should hang out, I think you'll have fun." Elena says while bouncing on her toes as Kol shakes his head.

"No, I want to stay with you." He says to Elena as she nods.

"And I want to stay with you, but I think they're right. I've been hogging you, they deserve to get to know the awesomeness that is you." She says as Damon scoffs.

"I don't see what's so great." He mutters childishly as Elena rolls her eyes with a smile.

"You will. He's amazing, and crazy, and fun. He has quickly become one of my favorite people." Elena says passionately as Kol stares at her with a smile and Jeremy raises his brow.

"Wow, you really like him." Jeremy says with a tilted head as Elena nods.

"Yeah, I think I'm in love with him." She says casually as the room stares at her with dropped jaws.

"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline screeches with wide eyes.

"Yep. I've never felt this. I want to be around him and mess with people with him, and make fun of people with him. Is that what love feels like?" She asks before turning to the vampires. "You answer, you've all felt it like a 1000 times." She shades as they roll their eyes.

"I agree. I think we're in love, Ellie. I've never felt it, but I think we're soulmates." Kol says with a definitive nod as Elena snaps her fingers and points to him.

"That's what we are. Definitely soulmates-" Klaus cuts her off with an annoyed glare.

"You're not soulmates. And Ellie, you're aromantic." He reminds with another eyeroll.

"Right. Shit, sorry Kol. I forgot." She pouts as Kol shrugs.

"That's okay, Darling. I still love you." He says, making her smile widely.

"Are you serious?" Damon asks Elena with a softer expression. "He really means this much to you?" Elena nods frantically, making Damon sigh. "Fine." He says as Elena squeals.

"Yes! You will not regret it. I think you guys will really get along. I mean, me and you are soulmates, right?" Damon nods with a small grin. "Well then, if Kol's also my soulmate, then the two are basically soulmates yourselves, it's PEMDAS or something." She explains with a grin as Damon shakes his head with a fond smile. "So, how about you, the Stefinator, and Nik here, take Kol to get a drink or something." Elena suggests before she looks around with confusion. "Wait. We're missing a few scoobies. Where's the one with the muscles and the one with eyes? Or the hot one? Or Zoey?" She asks as Caroline giggles softly and Bonnie smiles.

"Matt and Ty are at practice and Vic's working." Bonnie answers as Elena nods.

"Enzo went to Whitmore, something about unfinished business." Damon smirks with a dark glint in his eyes.

"Right, well you'll just have to get to know them some other time. For now, you guys hang while I-" Klaus interrupts her again.

"While you get some rest." He says with seriousness, before noticing the looks his siblings are sending him and clearing his throat. "For your blood." He says as Elena tries to contain a smirk with innocent eyes.

"Of course. Everyone knows the human body stops making blood when you're slightly sleep deprived." She says with a tilted head as Klaus narrows his eyes at her. 

"Hey, earlier when you came in, why was Kol with you?" Caroline voices the question that's been on her mind, making Kol and Elena turn to Klaus with identical cheeky grins as the hybrid avoids eye contact with the group. "Oh." Caroline whispers with pink cheeks before shaking her head. "Alright, well while you guys do that- take Kol out, not the um…" She trails off as Kol and Elena smirk at each other. "Me and Bon made plans to show Rebekah around the school." She finishes with a peppy tone as Elena smiles brightly at their forming bond.

"Sounds good. I'm gonna go get some rest, definitively not go through everyone's dressers. Behave." Elena whispers to Klaus tilting her head towards Kol, making the hybrid roll his eyes.

"Come on." Klaus says after kissing Elena's cheek and walking towards the door.

"I have a better idea. Why don't we get some coffee in you and then you come with us?" Kol asks as she smiles.

"Sorry, babe. Have fun." She says as he presses a kiss to her head, causing Damon to scowl and do the same as Stefan shakes his head with an amused smile. Elena grins and mouths 'thank you' to the younger Salvatore for not being as possessive as his brother, making him nod.

"Wanna come with us?" Stefan asks Jeremy as they walk towards the door.

"Umm, I'm fifteen. So, I think I'm just gonna go home and play video games." Jeremy says as Stefan nods.

"Yeah, makes sense." Stefan replies as Rebekah follows Caroline and Bonnie, trying to stop herself from looking at Stefan, remembering Elena telling her he's 'different' now. 

"No kiss?" Elena asks Rebekah seeing her conflicted glance towards Stefan, making the blonde stop and turn to her with a smirk.

"You wish." She responds as Elena smiles and nods. 

"Very much." She agrees, Rebekah rolls her eyes and turns back around, leaving Elena with Elijah and Finn. "Not the Mikaelson threesome I was expecting, but I'm not mad about it." She shrugs as Elijah reaches into his pocket and silently retrieves a bill.

"I have some matters to attend to." He states vaguely, nodding his goodbye as he leaves the room, stuffing the money in the cup as he goes.

"Why does he say that? What the hell does it mean?" Elena questions out loud, throwing her hands up. Finn smiles tightly and nods, also leaving the room as Elena frowns.  
___

Elena tosses back and forth in Klaus bed with an annoyed huff, eventually giving up on trying to sleep and throwing the sheets off of her. 

As Elena wanders through the mansion in search of something to relieve her boredom, she comes across Finn reading in Elijah's library.

"Hey." She knocks on the door frame, causing Finn to look up with a small smile.

"Hello." He greets awkwardly as Elena steps into the room, absentmindedly scanning the book shelves.

"What are you reading?" Elena asks as her eyes search for a certain book before turning to Finn, he holds up the book, showing her the cover as she nods with a slight grimace. "Franzen. Nice. Very pretentious." She comments as the corner of his lips lift.

"Yes, I've noticed that." He looks down at the book. "Elijah recommended it." He adds as Elena aahs.

"Well that explains it." She sends him a grin before turning back to the bookshelf. "Borning. Racist. Sexist. All three." She criticizes the books, distracting Finn. "Come on, I know it's here." She mutters as Finn sits up.

"What are you looking for?" He asks with minimal interest as she continues searching.

"Fifty Shades of Grey, I know he has a copy somewhere." She huffs, putting her hands on her hips as she narrows her eyes at the books. "Whatever, it's probably on his nightstand." She turns to Finn, eyes widening slightly at the lack of complete boredom on his face. "Hey, uh… you wanna hang?" She asks, surprising herself and confusing the original.

"Hang?" He asks simply as she nods.

"Yeah, hang out. Spend time together. Fuck shit up, you know, hang." She explains, only lessening his confusion slightly. "Come on." She leaves no room for argument as she grabs his book from his hand and tosses it on the chair next to him, noticing the look on his face, she sighs. "Were you really gonna finish that?" She asks, he opens his mouth only to shut it and shake his head making her laugh lightly. "Well then, come on." She skips out of the room, not waiting for him as he looks to the ceiling and huffs before following after her.

"Where are we going?" Finn asks as he follows her out of the house and to her car.

"On an adventure!" She says with wonder as he stares skeptically. "Okay, to get some food." She admits, opening the passenger door for him and gesturing with flamboyance to the seat, he contains an eye roll getting in, causing her to cheer and fist pump, before running around to the drivers side. "Then, an adventure." She says after buckling her seat belt and looking over to Finn.

"Why do you want to go on 'an adventure' with me?" Finn asks, making Elena sigh.

"Because… I think you're having some trouble adjusting or not, honestly I can't get a read on you." She says. "But, this could be good. No, you know what? This will be good!" Elena cheers. "Yeah, I'm gonna manic pixie dream girl the shit out of your life!" Elena adds enthusiastically as Finn's brows furrow in confusion. "And if the media has taught us anything, that's all that's needed to cure the depression of down on their luck white dudes." She mutters with an eye roll.

"That sounds like a critique, but I don't know those words." Finn states with a defeated sigh, Elena nods sympathetically.

"I feel you, Phineas-"

"That's not my name." Finn shakes his head.

"It must be weird waking up 900 hundred years later." Elena ignores him. "Oh, my god. You're like a time traveler." She adds with wide eyes.  
____

"Hello Betty, who's this." Kitty eyes Finn like he's gonna be her fifth husband.

"Hi, Kitty. This is my friend… Vinny." She smirks as Finn stares at her in confusion before looking to Kitty with a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you, Vinny." Kitty smiles at Finn before shaking her head slightly. "I assume the usual." Elena nods. "And for you?" She asks Finn as he studies the menu with an overwhelmed expression.

"You know what, bring us all the most popular foods on the menu." Elena says, taking the menu from Finn and handing it to Kitty with a smile. "And all the milkshake flavors." She adds, smiling even larger as Kitty sends her a disapprovingly glance.

"What have I said about using stolen cards?" Kitty scolds as Elena shakes her head frantically.

"I have permission!" Kitty raises her brows, unconvinced. "I swear! The guy I'm porking is totally loaded and I'm like 80% sure he's in love with me." At Kitty's displays of disbelief, Elena glances at Finn then back to Kitty with a sly smile. "You look really pretty today, Kitty. Don't you think, Finn?" Elena says in a casual tone, sending a pointed look to Finn, causing him to look between the women with confusion.

Kitty rolls her eyes and walks away, muttering about 'a crazy girl who needs a strong authority figure.'

Elena sighs in relief as she watches Kitty walk away, she turns to Finn. "For a moment there I thought you were gonna have to bang her." She admits with a small laugh as Finn's eyes widen and shock.

"What?" He whisper shouts in disbelief.

"Relax, man. I'm kidding… kinda." She looks back at Kitty over her shoulder and turns to Finn. "If I'm being totally honest, I don't think you could handle it." She holds her hands up in surrender at his glare. "What? Kitty's got claws, that's all I'm saying." Finn rolls his eyes.

"I can see why my brother likes you." Finn comments as Elena narrows her eyes.

"That's not a compliment, is it?" She asks as he forces down a smirk and shrugs. "Speaking of your siblings, you're not feeling any… murderous inclinations, are you?" Elena tries to bring up his siblings casually as Finn's eyes darken and all playfulness disappears.

"Why would I?" He asks, void of any emotion as she chews her lip nervously.

"Well, you know, the whole… neglecting to remove your dagger business." She says in a quiet tone. "Or the being kinda weird to you since waking you." She adds as he looks out the window next to their booth with a sigh.

"They think I'm dull." Finn says and looks to Elena as she opens her mouth.

"Whaaat? You? That's crazy-" He sends her a look, making her grimace. "Okay, so you're dull. So what?" She shrugs. "It’s not like Eli has any room to talk, or any of your siblings for that matter. Bekah falls in love so easily we should get her some knee pads. Klaus's daddy issues control his entire life. Elijah hides behind a facade of honor and nobility, because he's too scared to be himself. And Kol, well I don't have anything for him, he's a gem." Finn rolls his eyes as Elena continues. "What I'm saying is, who cares if you're dull? It doesn't matter. We all have stuff. I'm annoying, I go out of my way to mess with people, and I say whatever I'm thinking. But, people still put up with me. Do you know why?" Elena asks as Finn squints his eyes.

"Because you're honest?" He offers, causing her to shake her head.

"No, because I'm hot. And so are you, but for some reason you don't seem to know it." Finn doesn't miss the teasing grin and rolls his eyes again.

"You're trying to annoy me on purpose." He states.

"Obviously. And yet, you find yourself reluctantly fond of me, don't you?" He nods silently. "Yeah, that's kinda my brand. I think it’s the whole doppelgänger thing. People want to protect me. Truthfully, it can get annoying when I want to mess with people for real. I mean, come on, I only have one nemesis and I'm pretty sure it's one sided. But, that's not the point." She rambles before shaking her head. "The point is, none of those things matter and they certainly don't keep me from caring for them any less." She tells him with a genuine smile.

"How do you care for them?" He asks, leaning forward. "They've killed countless people. Klaus even killed you. How can you stand to be around our kind?" He asks with emotion lacing his tone.

"Because I'm not a racist." She answers simply, taking him by surprise. "Yeah, the whole 'all vampire are bad' thing is fucking racist, dude. You're supposed to judge people by the content of their character. Granted, most vampires's character kinda sucks on account of the whole emotion switch thingy and surviving on the blood of other creatures, but still." She argues.

"Vampires are perversi-" She interrupts with an eyeroll.

"Yeah, perversions of nature, blah blah blah. Who cares?" She groans as he stares at her like she’s crazy. "Getting rid of all the vampires in the world is just not possible, not to mention dangerous. I mean, what do you think humans are gonna do when a bunch of people suddenly drop dead or go missing? I smell a witch hunt. You know, just because you're suffering doesn't give you the right to take it out on other people by, I don't know, committing genocide." She finishes as Finn shakes his head.

"That's not- my mother made a mistake-" She cuts him off again.

"Oh man, you do not want to get me started on your mother. Christ on a cracker! A 'Karen' if there ever was one." He sends her a questioning look. "Yeah, yeah, you don't get it. But, that insult was fantastic by today's standards." She waves him off. "Look, it's okay to want revenge or to right your mothers wrong, but someday you're just gonna have to let it go." She says sympathetically.

"They left me in a box for 900 years." He raises his voice in anger. "How am I supposed to let that go?" He asks with desperation.

"I don't know, dude. But when you do, don't do it for them. Do it for you. Because at a certain point, your hate's gonna turn to a poison that only harms you." She pats his hand lightly, trying her best to comfort him before getting an idea and smiling, Elena sits up and calls out to Kitty. "Hey, can you pack everything up to-go?"   
___

"Where are we going?" Finn asks as Elena drives deeper into the forest. "Just drink your shake, Finnick." She says absentmindedly.

"That's not my name." He says.

"Okay, we're here." She ignores him as she parks the car and gets out, immediately going to the back of the SUV and setting up a picnic in the trunk. "Come on." She says, making him exit the car and walk towards her.

"What is this?" Finn asks, before looking around and noticing the waterfall.

"My favorite place." She says, taking a seat in the truck and immediately grabbing her burger, Finn looks to her with an unreadable look.

"Why did you bring me here?" He asks softly, she shrugs.

"I don't know." Elena answers with a full mouth. "You seemed sad, but not the normal kinda sad, the 'I'm gonna bottle this up' kinda sad. And when I do that, I come here." She says, patting the spot next to her. He sits next to her and she hands him some food, she looks at him for a moment before speaking up. "I've never brought anyone here before." She admits, feigning nonchalance.

"It's beautiful." He says looking out at the water with a wistful smile. "This town really hasn't changed all that much." He adds, lost in memories of his childhood.

"With all you Mikaelsons running around, not really no." She jokes as he smiles. "So what do you think?" She asks, making him raise a brow. "French fries. Are they not the most amazing thing you've ever tasted?" She asks as he looks down at his food.

"Yes, very good. Not better than blood, though." He attempts a joke, making her eyes widen comically.

"Do you just make a funny?" She teases as he rolls his eyes. Elena stands and wipes her hands on her pants before holding them out to Finn. "Okay, come on." She says, pulling him to his feet as he frowns with confusion.

"What are you doing?" He asks as she pulls him towards the water.

"Skinny dipping." She says, making him stop in his place.

"Elena, um- unlike my brothers, I hold no feelings for doppelgängers. You're very pretty. Just not my-" Elena interrupts his nervous rambling with an eyeroll.

"Chill. I'm kidding." She says, laughing at his sigh of relief. "I get it, I know you're more into redheads." She teases with a grin and continues pulling him.

"I don't understand what we are doing." Finn says, looking out at the water.

"The reason I come here-" Finn interrupts.

"I thought you came for the water." He says with confusion.

"You think I come here for the water? Come on, even after only knowing me for basically a day, you've got to know I'm not capable of tranquility." She says, making him laugh lightly and shake his head. "I come out here to get shit off my chest." She says, continuing at his expression. "There's no one around for miles, so no witnesses. I come here to yell. To vent my frustrations. Or excitement. The good, the bad, and the mostly sexual." She admits as scoffs.

"I'm not yelling." He states, making her shrug.

"Okay, I'll yell. I'm annoyed that Finn won't yell!" She yells, making him roll his eyes. "I'm worried about Kol and Damon! I hope they don't kill each other! I'm mad Klaus snitched like a lil' bitch! I'm also really touched he cares so much! I'm kinda sad I won't ever fall in love!" She swallows and turns away from Finn, not meaning to get so real, Finn sighs and clears his throat.

"I don't think I like modern times!" Finn yells, making Elena turn around with a small smile. "Everything is different! Everything is so loud! Everything buzzes! Why does everything buzz?" He asks quietly, making Elena laugh.

"I have hard plans to bang all of the originals! Even if it takes the rest of my life!" She turns to Finn and smirks as he avoids eye contact. "Klaus does this thing-" 

"I can't stop thinking about Sage!" Finn yells, interrupting Elena as she grins, an idea forming in her head. 

"Okay, now good. I think it’s cool Finn's not such a tight ass!" She yells, laughing as he tries to smother a smile.

"I like some of the music you and Kol have been playing… very loudly!" He sends her a look as she grins. "I like blood bags! I like that I don't need to hurt people to sustain myself!"

"It's possible I'm a sex addict!" 

"I want to punch Elijah in the face!"

"Being Elena Gilbert sucks!" 

"I always knew Niklaus killed mother!"

"I wish I wasn't so apathetic!"

"I hate my siblings! I hate that they thought so little of me, they were willing to leave me in a box! I hate that they don't care! I hate that they aren't even sorry!" Elena watches Finn as he spits his words with venom and heartbreak. "I miss Freya!" He yells in a softer tone as Elena’s eyes widen.

"Oh, my god. Finn, I am so fucking sorry! I totally forgot. Freya is not dead." Elena rushes out her words, stunning Finn completely. "You're aunt Dahlia did this fucked up sleeping beauty thing, where they awaken for a year every 100 years. Freya is set to wake up in a few years, but we can find her and try to wake her." Her rambling is cut off by Finn crushing her into a hug, surprising her.

"Thank you." Finn whispers, causing her to relax her muscles and hug him back, while rubbing his back awkwardly.

"Totally." She shrugs as he pulls away, she grabs his hand and drags him back to the car before sitting down. "I'm sorry." She says, making him look to her. "I've been cold. Or at the very least, indifferent. I can blame most of it on Kol, but it was mostly me judging you for things you haven't even done yet. Things you won't do if I have any say."

"What did I do?" He asks. 

"A lot, but mainly some stuff having to do with Klaus's kid." Elena says.

"I would never harm a child." Finn scoffs and Elena sighs.

"Yeah well, if history has taught me anything, it's that there's no drug more addictive than magic and no poison more toxic than jealousy." Elena says.

"Jealousy?" He asks incredulously, she nods. "I'm not jealous of my siblings. They are-"

"Evil? Beasts? Abominations?" She asks in a bored tone.

"Selfish." He corrects as she looks to him a slight surprise at the raw emotion in his voice. "Callous, inconsiderate, cruel. They abandoned me for 900 years. For what?" He asks weakly, she swallows thickly and blinks away the tears in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry I didn't try to get to know you beyond what I saw. You're not what I expected." She says as he clears his throat.

"I truly don't mean offense, but do you ever actually try to get to know people or do you simply go by what you've seen?" He asks gently. "And how often do you get to know people you haven't observed?" He continues, stunning her completely.

She lays back with a shocked expression. "Well, shit." She says with a groan before glaring at him.

"What the hell, dude? I thought we were becoming homies. Why are you making me think about this?" She whines as he grimaces.

"I'm sorry." He tries to say as she shakes her head and holds up her hand.

"No, don't apologize. You're right! I've emotionally connected to like 3 people I didn't have knowledge about, and I barely talk to them. What the hell is wrong with me?" Elena continues to work herself up as Finn looks on with remorse. "Alright, you know what? No. Not doing this today. I do not have time for an existential crisis." She closes her eyes with a deep breath, sitting up quickly, she plasters on a large smile. "I will deal with that some other time, hopefully I'll repress it til my death bed. We are here for you, so tell me, do you feel better than you did earlier?" Elena asks Finn, ignoring her own near breakdown, Finn blinks and looks to the water before a small smile forms on his face, he nods and turns back to Elena.

"Yes, I do." He admits beside releasing a breath. "I really do, thank you." He tells her in a genuine tone, making her shrug.

"It's whatever. We should probably go." She says, they both stand and as Elena makes her way to the drivers side, she stops with a grin. "Hey, I have an idea."  
___

"She's just so wild." Kol says out loud to no one in particular with a dazed smile. "And she doesn't care what people think. And she's so nice, she's all 'do you, Kol. Be who you are,' no one has ever said that to me before." Kol takes a shot as Damon, Stefan, and Klaus all look to each with identical knowing expressions.

"Don't do that." Damon says, making Kol turn to him with a bored look. "Seriously, it's not gonna happen. Ellie's not into relationships, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment." Damon says as Vicki makes her way towards them.

"You talking Ellie?" Vicki asks, making them nod. "This one fall for her?" She asks in an amused tone, making them all nod again. "Sorry, dude. But it's true. You can't tell her. Ever. Alright? Ellie might constantly accuse people of being in love with her, but the second anyone shows any genuine romantic interests, she freaks. She can't handle it. If you care for her, you'll keep this to yourself." Vicki finishes sternly as Damon nods along.

"Exactly. You know, a week after meeting her, Ellie's brother sat us both down and warned us both to never tell her if we liked her. Apparently, she gets really weird and starts doing things for you out of guilt. Just don't…" Damon trials off as he notices Elena's car outside of the grill. "Is that?" He points to the window in confusion as the car keeps stopping and starting in the middle of the street. The four men stand and make their way to the car.

Outside, Elena is gigging uncontrollable from the passenger seat as Finn scowls at her and curses under his breath. 

"It's not even stick, you literally just have to push the pedal." She says through a laugh.

"This was a bad idea, it's not safe." Finn scolds as he tries to ease his foot on to the gas pedal, making her laugh harder.

"You're immortal, Finn. You can't get hurt." She reminds him as he turns to her. 

"But, you're not and you can." He says with annoyance as she sends him a genuine smile, before ruining the moment by leaning over and pinching his cheek.

"Aww." She teases, making him roll his eyes and turn back to the road, trying and failing to go, as he struggles, Elena sees the group walking out of the grill, making her cackle and point to them. "Finn, you need to go if they see you, they will never stop making fun of you." She warns with a smile as his brows furrow, before pressing the gas and speeding away from his brother's inevitable mocking, Elena whoops and laughs, hitting the dashboard.

"Yes! Wooo!" She cheers, looking to him with a smile. "I am the most amazing MPDG, Natalie Portman can eat my ass!" She says as he looks to her, even more confused, making her giggle again.  
___

"Thanks for hanging with me today. I had fun. It was surprisingly awesome getting to know you, Finn." Elena says as she walks Finn to his door.

"I also had fun. Thank you, Elena. Today was- just thank you." He says with a smile as they reach his door. "Was there a reason you insisted on walking me to my door?" Finn asks as they look at the large door.

"I'm a gentleman." Elena shrugs, sending a wink to the original before turning around and walking away.

"Elena." Elijah greets as Elena walks past his study, making her stop and grin.

"E man, just the babe I was looking for. What do you know about planning formal balls?" Elijah raises a brow at her mischievous smile.


	47. The Ball pt.1

"And that, my sexy koala bear, is how you hotbox." Elena says slowly as she rolls down her car windows, letting out the smoke as she and Kol get out of the car.

"Is that dangerous?" He asks as she nods with a shrug.

"Technically, because of the lack of oxygen or whatever, but most fun things are." She explains as they make their way to the front porch.

"I hear your uncle... dad." Kol warns, making Elena sigh and retract her hand from the doorknob and take a seat on the porch steps. "What's wrong?" He asks, sitting next to her as she leans her head against shoulder.

"I love the guy, but he has a very… killable face. And personality. " She says with a thoughtful expression as Kol frowns.

"You think I would kill your family?" He asks, trying and failing to keep the hurt out of his voice as she frantically shakes her head.

"No. That's not it. I just- I don't want you to have to change for me. And refraining from killing John, well that would be a pretty big change. Especially when he gives me the inevitable 'vampires bad/humans good' speech." She assures him in a genuine tone before looking back at the door with regret. "I should go in. On a scale from Cheech to Chong, how high do I look?" She asks as Kol makes a confused face.

"I have no clue what that means." He says. "But you look fine. It's how you smell we should talk about." He adds with a slight teasing tone as she laughs and stands.

"Whatever. Hey, remind me to show you 'Up in Smoke' later alright?" He nods, leaning forward to kiss her cheek before vamp-speeding away, Elena turns to the door with a grimace.

As she enters and sees no sign of John she lets out a small breath of relief, a bit too soon though, because he immediately pops into the foyer, making her smile widely.

"Heyy, John. Othan. Athan? That's a weird name. Johnathan." She repeats moving her mouth strangely as he narrows his eyes and steps closer?

"Are you high?" He asks, holding her face and examining her pupils.

"Only on life, pop." She responds with a smile. "And a little pot." She whispers with a giggle, making him sigh and remove his hands. "What? Would you rather I lie?" She asks with a mock scandalized tone as she makes her way to the kitchen while he follows.

"I'd rather you be sober." He raises his voice in frustration as she searches through the pantry.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you." She says without remorse as he runs a hand over his face. "Come to mama." She whispers, reaching for a bag of potato chips and a jar of peanut butter.

"Who were you with?" He asks, following her to the living room.

"Kol." She answers while distractedly making herself comfortable on the couch.

"And you and Kol are… close?" He struggles to get out as she turns to him with a raised brow. "You know what I mean. You are 17 and your mother's not here to talk about these things." He says awkwardly as she tries to smother a smirk.

"Are you asking if I'm sleeping with Kol?" She asks in a casual tone as he looks away, avoiding eye contact and nods. "No, I'm not." She says as he lets out a small sigh of relief. "But, I am sleeping with Klaus." She says, opening the bag of chips as John stares at her in what can only be described as horror.

"Wh-what? No, absolutely not." He shakes his head as she looks at him with confusion.

"What's wrong with Klaus?" She asks in a defensive tone as he looks to her in shock.

"Besides the fact that he killed you? How about, he looks thirty-" She interrupts.

"So you'd rather I sleep with Kol?" She asks, making him glare at her with a look that very clearly reads 'knock it off.'

"You shouldn't be sleeping with anyone." He says, making her snort and look to him incredulously. "I'm serious. You shouldn't be having sex until you're able to accept the consequences of a pregnancy." He quotes what is sure to be some pamphlet that's still somehow more informative than some bullshit, abstinence only sexual education class.

"And you shouldn't say dumb shit if you don't want me to slap you." She rolls her eyes. "And insanely hypocritical, don't you think?" She gestures to her body while sending him a pointed look.

"Elena, I am speaking from experience as someone who had to watch his brother raise my daughter." He says in a quiet tone.

"Yeah, well I think Rem's a little young for a kid." She tries to lighten the mood as he sits across from her with a defeated sigh. "I'm kidding. Look, I can handle myself. And I'm not you and I'm damn sure not Isobel. I don't need you to worry about these kinds of things okay?" She asks as he looks at her hesitantly. "Okay?" She repeats herself with a soft smile, he returns after a moment with a small nod. 

"Fine. But, you know you can come to me, right? If you, uh need me." He tries to say as she nods with soft eyes.

"Yeah. I know." She responds.

"What is this Mikaelson ball?" John breaks the somewhat awkward silence with a question as Elena scoots further down the couch.

"Just a little welcome home party. You know they used to live here like a thousand years ago?" Elena asks, getting crumbs across her chest as she chews her chips dipped in peanut butter. "You know, it's funny. With all those founding family members, it's kinda like an impromptu council meeting." She brings up casually with a straight face as John sends her skeptical look.

"What are you planning?" He asks straight forward as she rolls her eyes. 

"Do you have some kind of accusation quota you need to meet?" She ignores the question, not going unnoticed by John.

"I wouldn't need to accuse you, if you just shared your plans with me." He argues with exasperation as her brows furrow slightly in concentration.

"Will you take Remy to get a tux, I think he outgrew his old one." She not-so-subtly changes the subject, making him sigh and stand.

"Sure." He agrees and walks towards the stairs. "And at least drink some coffee, it's the middle of the afternoon, you don't need to be high." He adds as she lazily holds a thumb in the air.  
___

"Ellie!" Caroline squeals, running to meet Elena as she walks towards the Mikaelson mansion.

"Hey, Care bear. How goes the planning?" Elena asks as they embrace tightly.

"It has been incredible, this is like my dream event. And Rebekah knows so much, she's been amazing." Caroline compliments as Elena nods.

"Yeah, she's the best. Did you get to talk to Klaus?" Elena asks with slight urgency as Caroline's brows furrow in confusion. "For the dress." She clarifies, making Caroline nod.

"Yes, I tried it on. Rebekah really liked it. We're gonna get ready together before the ball." She trails off with a smile.

"Cool, so back to Klaus, what did you guys talk about? Horses maybe?" Elena asks as Caroline tilts her head.

"Why would we talk about horses?" She asks as Elena shakes her head with a dejected sigh.

"No reason, I love you. I'll see you later." Elena says, hugging Caroline again before entering the Mikaelson's house and looking around for the family. "Aww, look at you two." Elena teases Kol and Klaus, making them look up at her from opposite ends of the same couch. "You're in the same room with zero prompting from me. I'm so proud." She wipes a fake tear away, bringing a hand to her heart as Kol smiles in amusement and Klaus rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Did I know you were coming over?" Klaus asks, making Kol scoffs.

"Who says she's here for you? What do you need, Darling?" Kol turns to Elena with a smile as she looks down.

"I actually came to talk to him, but we can chill after." She offers as he looks away with a head shake and a shrug.

"It's whatever, I've got things to do anyway." He crosses his arms as she withholds an eyeroll.

"Don't be like that-"

"Ellie." Finn enters the room with a smile, making his brother look to each other with shock. "How are you?" He asks as Elena smiles at him in greeting.

"I'm good, just here to talk to Klaus-"

"When the hell did you two get so chummy?" Kol looks between the two with suspicion as Klaus nods and Finn rolls his eyes.

"We went on an adventure. That kinda thing bonds people." She says as Kol stands and exits the room sending his oldest brother a glare. "What's his problem?" Elena asks with confusion as Klaus smiles at her in amusement.

"I will see you this evening, Ellie." Finn says with a nod before leaving the room as Elena smiles at him as he goes.

"What did you need to talk about?" Klaus asks, making Elena walk to him and take the sketch pad out of his hands, placing it next to him while she straddles his lap as he raises his brows.

"Hey, so you know I love you, right?" She asks as he nods with a small smile. "And you know that sex isn't a condition of our friendship?" She asks as he looks up to her with confusion.

"Yes." He answers slowly.

"Okay. Good. So you know that if you enter an exclusive relationship or just don't want to bang it out any more, that I'm not gonna leave. We'll still be totally chill." She stresses the totally as he nods.

"What is this about?" He voices his confusion as she shakes her head.

"Nothing. I've got some things to take care of." She gets off his lap. "I'll see you later." She pecks his lips quickly and leaves the room as he stares after her still confused.  
___

Elena smirks, watching heads turn her way as she makes her entrance into the new and improved Mikaelson ball. 

With a confidant strut, she makes her way through the room in search of her friends.

"You're late, as always." Bonnie says with a smile as she spots Elena, making Caroline lightly hit her shoulder.

"She's not late, she's just living fashionably." Caroline defends as Bonnie laughs and Elena beams at the blonde.

"Exactly, that's why I love you, care. You get it. You two look amazing." Elena compliments, looking the two over with a smile as Bonnie blushes and Caroline flips her hair over her shoulder.

"Thank you, Ellie. You look good too." Bonnie says as Elena smirks.

"I'm aware. I literally stopped traffic outside. Alright, truth be told, it was because I ran into the street and they breaked to miss me then flipped me off, but the point stands." She says, looking around as the girls laugh. "Wow, this place looks great, you really outdid yourself, Care." Elena says, making Caroline smile proudly. 

Elena spots the Mikaelsons, causing her to excuse herself and walk towards them.

"My goodness, look at you." Elena shakes her head as the siblings look to her. "Just, chef's kiss on the whole gene pool." Elena kisses her fingers as the group smiles at her in amusement.

"You look lovely." Rebekah kisses her cheeks. "What do you think? Me and Caroline did a wonderful job, right?" Elena nods frantically sending her a smile.

"It's perfect. Only one thing could make it better." Elena adds with a smirk, causing the group to follow her eye line. "It seems the guest of honor has arrived." Elena says as the Mikaelsons stare at Sage in shock.

Finn's breath hitches as his eyes widen, staring in stunned silence before blink rapidly and turning to Elena. "What-" she interrupts.

"Doesn't matter, go talk to her. I think you've kept her waiting long enough." She smiles as he squeezes her arm gently and sends her a look of gratitude before walking away. 

"You really invited her without telling him?" Rebekah asks with amusement.

"How many times do I need to say I'm a dramatic bitch before you people start to believe me?" Elena throws her arms up.

"Well, I'm glad. Finn deserves to find happiness." Elijah says with a nod before gesturing to the mayor and sending Klaus a look.

"I agree, perhaps it will lighten him up. Excuse us." Klaus says, patting Elena's hand before following Elijah.

"I'm bored and hungry." Kol all but pouts as Elena laughs and shakes her head.

"You poor baby." Elena puts a hand on his cheek as he narrows his eyes. "I'm sorry you're bored, but as for the hungry thing, you are surrounded by food." His eyes widen as a smile spreads across his face.

"Excellent idea, Darling." Kol kisses her cheek before skipping away.

"I'm gonna regret that." Elena says to Rebekah as she nods. 

Elena sees the look Rebekah sends Stefan and sighs. "How's that going?" Elena asks as Rebekah purses her lips.

"I don't know. I know he cares and it's very sweet the way he's trying to spare my feelings. But, I think it's time I move on." Rebekah says with a definitive nod as Elena smiles and gestures to the room.

"Well, take your pick. Anyone would be lucky to have you." Rebekah smiles at her.

"I've been 'hanging out' with Caroline." She air quotes with a small faraway smile, she shakes her head. "And the rest of your friends." She adds.

"They're your friends now too, Beks." Elena comments.

"And Caroline taught me some things about relationships and how people change and grow apart." Rebekah tells Elena.

"Well, whatever you decide or whoever you pick, just remember that you deserve the world, Bekah. So don't settle for someone who can't even give you a continent." Elena says as Rebekah sends her a look.

"Cheesy." Rebekah states as Elena laughs.

"There's nothing wrong with a little cheese." She pushes the blonde shoulder as Rebekah laughs.  
___

"Hey." Elena greets Elijah after observing him watch his siblings with a content smile.

"Ellie." He nods.

"So, is this what you had in mind?" She asks, not needing to specify, making him sigh.

"I'm not sure. Although I'm happy, I feel strange. This is what I wanted for so long. But now that I have my family back, I feel oddly… unsatisfied." He struggles to get out as her brows lift in surprise. 

"Then, what do you want to do now?" She asks, making him look to her with question. "Look, E man you've been president of the babysitters club to a bunch of immortal assholes for the last thousand years, if anyone deserves a break." He stares at her a moment before a small smile spreads across his lips.

"Thank you, Elena." He says in a genuine tone, taking her by surprise before she shrugs.

"Elijah." Sage greets tightly as her and Finn step in front of the pair.

"Sage, you look well." Elena coughs to hide a laugh at his awkward greeting as Sage's eyes find hers.

"You must be Ellie, I can't express how grateful I am to you. Anything you need, I'm in your debt." Sage takes Elena's hand as the doppelgänger blurts out the first thing to come to mind.

"Boxing lessons." Sage's eyes widen in surprise. "If you ever have the time to teach me how to box, that would be sick." Elena clarifies as Sage nods and smiles brightly.

"Done." She says before excusing herself once she sees Damon as Elijah walks away.

"Imma be honest, Finn. She's way too cool for you." Elena shakes her head as Finn chuckles.

"I know. She always was. She's fearless and strong." Finn says with emotion as the pair watch her from across the room.

"And let's not forget, insanely hot. I mean, good god, that woman's attractive." Elena shakes her head before leaning into Finn with a serious expression. "If you don't fuck her tonight, I will." Finn's eyes widen, before releasing an involuntary breath of relief when she snickers. "Kidding." His relieved smile drops at the sight of her wolfish grin. "You have a week." She takes his glass of champagne and leaves him standing alone with an open mouth and an empty hand.


	48. The Ball pt.2

"Welcome, we would like to thank you all for joining our family this evening in celebration of our homecoming." Elijah says to the room as his siblings stand by his side, making Elena smile.

"So finish your drinks and find a dance partner." Kol speaks up while draining his drink and patting Elijah's shoulder as the scoobies and Elena laugh.

"Hey." Elena says to Klaus as he smiles and holds out a hand, asking her to join him, furrowing his brows when Elena pulls Caroline towards him and all but pushes her into his arms. "Have fun." She says before walking away leaving the two to look to each other in confusion.

"Ms. Gilbert." Damon says with a smirk, holding his hand out. "May I have this dance?" He asks formally as she laughs.

"And ruin your freshly polished shoes? You know I can't dance." She says, making him shrug and pull her to him.

"I'll lead." He winks as she rolls her eyes playfully.

As the dancers line up, Elena throws a small salute to the DJ, making him nod before starting the music. Elena smiles widely as the chords to 'Give Me Love' begin and the dance starts.

"Ouch." Damon hisses as Elena steps on his foot.

"I warned you, this one's on you." She says as he mock glares at her.

"Why didn't you ever learn to dance? With as many functions as this town has, it was mandatory in my day." Damon says, making her laugh at the memory of her parents many attempts at bribing her into joining her friends for lessons.

"Not really my thing." She answers, looking around the room for Klaroline, spotting Finn and Sage instead.

"You know, when you asked for Sage's info, I didn't think it was for the tall one." Damon says, following her eye line as she rolls her eyes.

"His name is Finn and their story is kinda epic. She's loved him for 900 years. How insane is that?" Elena shakes her head as Damon sighs heavily.

"As someone who loved a girl for 145 years, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the whole 'the heart grows fonder' thing is complete bullshit. Makes you wonder what's wrong with her to hold on so long." Damon whispers in her ear as Elena scoffs.

"Only you could turn a beautiful love story spanning nine centuries into a critique on her psyche." Elena trails off, catching sight of Caroline laughing at something Klaus said.

"What are you looking at?" Damon asks.

"Shh, I'm watching something." She whispers. "Hey, what are they saying?" she nods towards Klaus and Caroline when she laughs again.

"They're talking about you." Damon says, laughing at whatever Klaus said as she shakes her head.

"No, no, no. This is all wrong. They're supposed to be falling in love." She mutters with confusion as Damon raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"We're about to switch, don't trip." Damon presses a kiss to her hair before spinning her into Stefan’s arms.

"Well, don't you look handsome." Elena says, making the vampire look down with a smile.

"Thank you, you look beautiful." Stefan says as his eyes drift to Rebekah, causing him to let out a small sigh.

"How are you doing with that?" Elena asks.

"I don't know. I don't want to hurt her, El. I care about her. But, I'm-"

"Different?" She asks, making him nod.

"So different. Especially from the man she knew in the twenties. I hate that guy, he's a totally douche." Elena laughs.

"But so hot." His eyes widen.

"What?" He asks as she shrugs.

"Ripper Stefan is daddy." She says with nonchalance as he pulls a face.

"Don't say daddy. And why? I was such an-"

"Asshole? Yeah, I fuck Klaus, dude. Assholes are kinda my type." He chuckles, shaking his head.

"Thank you, El." She raises a brow in question. "For distracting me. Making me feel better about Rebekah." She smiles.

"Look, Bekah is awesome. And she deserves someone amazing. If that's you, great. If not, I have complete and total faith that the two of you will find happiness with or without each other." He smiles gratefully down at her.

"I think I am happy." Stefan says with realization. "Earlier, me and Damon were getting ready together and having a drink. It felt so normal, like we didn't spend the last century and a half making each other miserable. It felt like when we were human. Before Katherine and the war. I'm happier than I ever thought I could be." Stefan trails off with slight embarrassment as Elena smiles gently, leaning in and kissing his cheek.

"You deserve it." She whispers before they switch partners and she ends up in Klaus's arms.

"What is your problem?" Elena asks, making Klaus scoff.

"I could ask you the same. You have been acting strange, all day. What's wrong?" He asks, causing her to stop dancing and pull him away from the floor in search of an empty room.

"Why aren't you into Caroline?" She asks straightforwardly as Klaus stares at her with a puzzled expression.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Klaus says as Elena groans.

"I know. That's the problem!" She exclaims, throwing her hands up. "What do you think about her?" Elena questions. "Just go with it." She says, noticing his hesitance.

"Uh, she's intelligent. Detail oriented. Very nice. Ellie, what am I supposed to say?" He asks as she pouts.

"That she's beautiful and strong. That she's full of light and that you enjoy her, or some other swoon worthy crap!" She throws her hands up as he scoffs.

"Why would I ever say those things? What aren't you telling me?" He narrows his eyes as she rubs the back of her neck sheepishly.

"It is possible… you were in love with her." She whispers the last part as he laughs with disbelief.

"Really?" He asks with skepticism as she nods.

"Yes! You had this will they/won't they, love triangle, spontaneous woods sex thing and it was amazing! You guys are like meant to be or something. Which is why, you should be out there, making her question all her morals and slowly fall for you." She takes a deep breath as Klaus stares at her before sitting down on the nearest surface with a contemplative expression.

After a few moments, Klaus stands and shrugs. "Doesn't matter." He says, causing her mouth to gape in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asks as he sighs.

"I don't feel that way now, so it doesn't matter. We should get back to the ball." He grabs her hand.

"No." She pulls her hand away. "Maybe you just haven't been around her enough. Yes. You should give that a try." She gives an encouraging nod.

"In the future you saw, was I ever actively searching for love?" He asks as she stares in confusion.

"No."

"Exactly. When you find love, it's random and not necessarily something I'm very fond of. If I ever fall in love again, it won't be because I tried to force it." He explains as she frowns.

"Damn. That was good. But, you don't understand, she was important to you. She called you on your shit and made you show kindness and compassion. You need her." She furrows her brows as he smiles down at her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She asks.

"You do realize everything you just said could be used to describe the impact you've had on me." He quirks a brow with a smirk as she shakes her head.

"No, that's different. You need someone to-" she cuts herself off with a sigh." Dammit! Ugh, I ruined my favorite ship with my stupid meddling. I am the worst. No, that's too far, I'm incredible. Whatever, we'll just have to find someone else." She shrugs as he rolls his eyes.

"Why do I need someone? I have my family, my hybrids, and you." He tries to make her understand.

"I hear you, I do. But, honestly I'm already planning a speed dating night at the grill where everyone is compelled to be honest." 

"Stop." Klaus grabs her shoulders, practically seeing her mind race as fast as her heart. "Why are you doing this?" He asks, staring into her eyes with concern.

"You need someone to take care of you, Nik." She whispers as he tilts his head.

"I have you for that, don't I?" He asks in a playful tone.

"I won't be around forever. You know what the witch who attacked me said. And when I'm gone, you'll need someone to be there for you." Elena says with determination.

"Are you serious? This is why you've been acting so odd? I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, Ellie." Klaus promises sincerely.

"You can't control everything, Klaus. But, I can, so when I die-" He cuts her off with a pained look and a head shake. "Just listen. You need to take Kol to New Orleans and find a girl named Davina Claire. But, maybe hold off for a few years, because she's a little younger than Remy. And you need to go through all my info about the Gemini prison worlds. They contain some things I need for Finn and Bekah. But before that, you need to find Freya, she's most likely at the Dowager Fauline Cottage, you know that prison for witches. Also, you're gonna need to occasionally cause some trouble so Elijah feels like he has a purpose. Maybe every few decades go on a killing spree or something, I don't know, dealer's' choice."

"Elena, stop." Klaus says firmly, ending Elena's panic driven rambling.

"You need to look after Remy, Nik." She adds through heavy breathing.

"You need to calm down, Ellie." Klaus says, leading her to a nearby couch and sitting her down.

"I don't have time. I thought I had years to take care of all this stuff, but-" she suddenly goes quiet as Klaus raises a suspicious brow.

"What?"

"I've been feeling terrible lately. It wasn't too bad at first, but the pain had been growing." Elena admits.

"Is it your… stomach?" Klaus asks cautiously, making her laugh.

"I'm not pregnant, dumbass." She rolls her eyes as he smiles at her in apology. "Whatever's happening, I just know it's happening soon. So I'm trying to make sure you're all happy before I, uh you know." She trails off awkwardly.

Klaus sighs heavily before leaning in and kissing her, causing her eyes to widen in surprise before reciprocating, Klaus pulls away with an unreadable expression.

"Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see." Klaus smirks as her brows furrow in confusion.

"What-"

"I was feeling a little off today, but you've turned me on again." He continues with humor in his eyes, making her snort.

"Klaus, seriously." She smiles.

"Kiss me if I'm wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?" Elena busts out laugh at the cheesy line as Klaus gestures for her to speak, making her roll her eyes with a wide smile.

"This tux looks great on you, but it's gonna look even better on my bedroom floor." Klaus chuckles as Elena sends him a grateful smile for his attempt to cheer her up.

"Come on." He stands, holding out his hand. "We should get back, I'm sure Kol is looking for you." Klaus says, leading her out of the room. 

"Or we can stay here for a little while." She wiggles her eyebrows as he shakes his head. "Oh, come on. You have to finish what you started." She whines, making him laugh. "Wow, who knew you were such a tease. I've got blue balls." She pouts as he rolls her eyes and pulls her out of the room. 

"My apologies, that must be very uncomfortable." He plays along as she nods.

"Extremely." She mumbles, catching sight of Caroline and Rebekah as they walk through the crowded room.

Caroline laughs loudly with a laugh Elena's never heard from her, before giggling with a blush covering her cheeks and pushing her hair behind her ears, realization spreads across Elena's face along with a wide grin.

"Operation Rebekoline is a go." Elena whispers to herself bringing a finger to her ear.

"What was that?" Klaus asks as his eyes move between her lips and her hand.

"That was- like an earpiece from criminal minds…" she trails off with a dejected sigh. "No one gets me." She mutters sadly before walking away.  
___

Kol approaches Elena with a satisfied smile. "We should probably do this thing." Kol says with a grin as Elena notices blood smeared across his neck, she shakes her head with a fond smile while licking her finger and and cleaning the blood off him, as she pulls away Kol catches her wrist and licks the blood off her finger as her breath catches.

"Okay, woah. That was hot. Wanna get outta here?" She asks in a distracted tone before being brought back to reality by his laugh. "Right. Come on." She grabs his hand, dragging him along as she searches for his siblings.

"Hey, 'lijah It's time." She says, receiving a nod in return before Elijah makes his way to the stairs, drawing the attention of the room.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience but it seems there is an emergency, if everyone could make their way to the nearest exit." Elena snorts at his vague announcement as the guests look between each other in confusion before heading to the exit.

As the guests make their way out of the house, the Salvatores, Elena, Caroline, and Tyler stop the council members from leaving and force the confused group to follow them to the living room.

"Tyler, what are you doing?" Mayor Lockwood asks his son in a quiet and angry tone.

"What's happening, Caroline?" Liz asks Caroline as John looks to Elena, making her shrug innocently.

"The founder's council of Mystic Falls." Klaus drawls dramatically, feigning an impressed tone as he pours himself a drink.

"Yes. Is there a reason you've gathered us?" Mayor Lockwood steps to Klaus in an attempt to intimidate him as the hybrid smirks in amusement.

"Yes, actually." Klaus looks past the Mayor's head to the rest of the council with a grin before speeding towards Richard, biting into his neck aggressively, causing the rest of the council to gasp in fear as Liz and Carol try to pull their children away.

"What the hell!" Logan Fell shouts in terror as he backs away, making Jenna roll her eyes and send Elena a look.

"Calm down." John says to the council, glaring at Klaus as the hybrid pushes Richard away and wipes his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Liz whispers as Tyler and Caroline back away from their mothers with matching apologetic smiles and stand on either side of Elena in the middle of the room.

"Surprise!" Elena cheers, throwing her arms up flamboyantly as her friends look to her with amusement and John sighs. 

"What is happening?" Richard brings a hand to his bloody neck as he scoots away from Klaus.

"Really? You don't have at least one clue as to what's happening? Even with all that going on?" Elena points his neck.

"Alright, enough fun, Niklaus." Elijah steps forward, adjusting his cuffs as the council members step back in fear. "As I'm sure you've figured out, my siblings and I are vampires." Klaus opens his mouth to correct him, Elijah puts his hand up. "Except Niklaus. He is something else entirely." Klaus smirks with pride as the council looks to him in confusion.

"It's true." Johnathan steps forward with a glare still aimed at Klaus. "He's a hybrid, between a wolf and vampire. An original vampire." John clarifies as the council practically shakes with fear.

"How long did you know, John? Why wouldn't you tell us?" Liz asks with betrayal lacing her tone.

"Sorry. That would be my fault." Elena raises her hand slightly with an apologetic expression.

"Elena? How are you connected to this? And how are our children connected?" Carol Lockwood speaks up as Elena grimaces.

"That would also be my fault." She admits sheepishly. "Alright, short version, I'm something called a doppelgänger, my sacrificial death was needed for this guy to become the original hybrid. He brought me back to life for reasons. Your children have known about the supernatural for months. These are the Mikaelsons, aka The original family. The first vampires to ever exist. Which also means, you can't kill them, nothing can. So don't even try. They've decided to make a home here. I thought it was pertinent we lay some ground rules. Klaus." Elena steps back, leaving the council stunned at the words of the girl they've known her entire life.

"Thank you, Ellie." Klaus sends her a smile as he steps towards the council, reveling in their fear. "From this moment on, none of you will ever ingest vervain again, without my permission." The council members' eyes widen in disbelief. "No need to worry, I have no plans to tamper with your memory, it's simply the only way I can ensure you'll follow my rules, you'll remember everything. Now, I know what you're thinking, I'm sure you're worried about the town population, but I can assure you, we have no plans to permanently harm any of this town's residents." Kol cuts in with a large smirk.

"Except the DJ." He says as Elena gasps and looks towards the DJ booth, groaning when she sees the body.

"You killed the DJ? That's like the biggest party killer ever!" She exclaims as Kol shrugs.

"Fine, not harming the residents starting now." Klaus rolls his eyes at Kol.

"If it helps, I hired him from out of town." Caroline offers as Liz gasps.

"Caroline." She reprimands, making her daughter frown.

"It's true." Caroline defends as Elena grabs her hand and sends her a smile.

"You aren't to kill any vampires in this town, that includes the Salvatores, Mr. St. John, and any of their future guests." Klaus gestures to the vampires as the council member's eyes widen in realization. "If I find out you killed any vampires, I'll-" 

"Kill us?" The Mayor interrupts bravely as Klaus huffs at the man's gall.

"No actually, I'll do the one thing you'd consider worse than death." As Klaus finishes as one of his hybrids walk into the room carrying a tray of shot glasses, Klaus grins at the Mayor before biting into his wrist, letting his blood drop into the glasses.

Elena looks between Tyler and Caroline with a smile as they each grab a shot. "Bottoms up." Elena raises her shot to the Mayor with a grin before they each throw the blood back as their parents stare in horror.

As they set their glasses back down, Klaus stands behind Tyler, Rebekah stands behind Caroline, and Kol behind Elena as Klaus makes eye contact with each council member.

"A single snap and your beloved offspring becomes the thing you hate most. What an absolute shame that would be." He grins as Kol speaks up.

"I don't know if they understand, Nik. Perhaps a demonstration is in order." Kol smirks, placing a hand on Elena's neck while maintaining eye contact with the Mayor.

"It's not necessary." John spits with a dark glare aimed at Kol.

"So, we're in agreement?" Klaus's tone changes as he steps away from Tyler and smiles brightly.  
___

"To the council and our ability to effortlessly manipulate them." Elena drunkenly toast to the room filled with her friends as they clink their cups.

"Hear, hear!" They cheer together with a laugh.

"Come on, let's dance. I'll pick the music, because someone killed the DJ." Elena glares at Kol, who rolls his eyes. 

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Kol asks as she connects her ipod to the speakers.

As the music begins, Elena takes Caroline and Rebekah's hands while not-so-subtly trying to make them dance together.

"So one, two, three, take my hand and come with me

Because you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine" Caroline and Elena sing to each other before laughing as Elena twirls the bubbly blonde.

"I say you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine

Oh, four, five, six, c'mon and get your kicks  
Now you don't need the money when you look like that do you honey." 

Tyler spins Elena as she looks around the room, frowning slightly feeling like someone is missing before she gets an idea and pulls her friends to the living room and turns off the music.

"Guys, come here." Elena says, forcing everyone to sit around the living room, purposely sitting Caroline and Rebekah down together.

"Okay, okay. Shh. It's ringing." She says with a giggle as the room stares in confusion.

"Ellie, who are you calling?" Klaus asks with suspicion as she sends him a wink.

"Ellie?" A confused and tired voice asks on speaker phone, making the room go silent.

"Heyy, biatch! What it do, Kitty Kat?" Elena slurs slightly as the scoobies cover their mouths to smother their laughter.

"Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?" Katherine asks, trying to sound annoyed at her doppelgänger.

"I have a question, but beware, I am currently at Casa de Mikaelson with the whole clan and my scooby gang." Elena warns.

"Do I even want to know why?" Katherine asks weakly as Elena shakes her head.

"No. Who's a better kisser, Ocean eyes, Elmer Fudd, or the suit?" Elena asks, making everyone but the aforementioned laugh.

"Seriously, Ellie?" Katherine asks.

"Pleeaase, I'll send you a pick of Stefan without a shirt." She whispers into the phone.

"Goodbye, Elena." Katherine says firmly.

"Wait, wait. Never mind… I wuv you." Elena says sweetly as Katherine sighs through the phone.

"Someone get her some coffee please." Katherine hangs up, making Elena pout at the phone.

"Was that Katherine?" Kol asks as Elena nods frantically.

"Yep, she's the best." Elena answers with a smile as Damon snorts.

"Oh yeah, a real saint she is." He says bitterly, making the room laugh.

"Oh come on, Dames. You can't hold a grudge forever." Elena teases as he rolls his eyes. 

"I can and I will." He states as Koll looks on in confusion.

"Why does he have a grudge?" Kol asks, making Elena laugh as Damon groans.

"That is a wonderful story, do tell Damon." Elena smirks as Damon sends her a glare.

Damon sighs dramatically sending a playful wink to Elena. "Once upon a time-"

"Boo!" Caroline says as Elena shouts,

"Lame!" 

"Hey, who's telling the story? Yeah, exactly. Shut the fuck up." Elena laughs and she and Caroline hold their hands up in surrender.

"Once upon a time, an evil vampire slut disguised as an innocent orphan girl…" Elena zones out as Damon continues his very narrator biased tale, looking around at the smiling face of all the people she considers family with a feeling of pride and gratitude. 

Just as she's thinking how perfect her life is, she feels a dull pain in her chest that begins slowly moving down her legs and up her neck, the pain getting more intense with each passing second, not wanting to worry her friends, Elena stands and mumbles something about 'seeing a man about a horse' before quickly walking to the restroom, trying and failing to not think about the growing pain in each step.

As soon as Elena enters the small restroom, she immediately runs to the toilet, throwing open the lid and proceeds to empty her guts, Elena wipes the tears from her eyes before they widen in concern, seeing the amount of blood she expelled, she looks down at her hands and notices smeared blood on her palms, causing her to stand and look at herself in the mirror.

"Shit." She mutters as she stares at the blood heavily streaming from her eyes and nose while her friends bang on the bathroom door.


End file.
